Does Italy government 'need reform'?

It's over two months since Italians voted in their general election, but they still have no new government.

The major parliamentary blocs couldn't form the alliances needed to put a coalition administration in place.

There has however been a breakthrough. In the depths of the crisis the country's Head of State, President Giorgio Napolitano stepped in and demanded an end to the Parliamentary paralysis.

He said it was "unforgivable that the parties had failed to deliver desperately needed reforms".

The politicians listened, and efforts are now underway to piece together what would be a very broad coalition. It would be broad enough to make Silvio Berlusconi a major player in government again.

The BBC's Rome correspondent Alan Johnston reports.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Saturday 27 April 2013.