"Berlusconi's five-year term was due to expire in spring 2013."
Rome, Nov 11 - Mario Monti, who is expected to be named Italian prime minister, was greeted with a round of applause Friday as he appeared in the Senate a day after being named senator-for-life.
Monti, who is a former European Union commissioner, is the most likely candidate to take over the reins from Silvio Berlusconi in the next couple of days after a round of economic stimulus measures are passed by the Italian parliament.
As a life senator, Monti stands a better chance of taking over the government. He is also the only name being publicly mentioned for the job.
Berlusconi and his allies have opposed a caretaker government which will be charged with overseeing reforms to put Italy's economic house in order and hopefully calm international investors and fellow European Union members.
Berlusconi's five-year term was due to expire in spring 2013.
In addition to the Italian centre-left political opposition, support for a transitional government has come from the influential Confindustria, the country's largest business lobby.