“I don’t want to anticipate anything,” said Ronzulli.

“Obviously, and I don’t think I’m going to reveal the third secret of Fatima, but it will be Antonio Tajani.”

“It will be President Antonio Tajani who will have the burden and the honour of leading us.

“He is the vice-president of Forza Italia, because he is the national coordinator of Forza Italia, he is one of the co-founders of Forza Italia and it is right that it should be so.”

Tajani, who is Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister in Italy’s right-wing government, is expected to lead FI to a national council meeting that will definitively pick Berlusconi’s successor.

Berlusconi died of leukaemia on June 12 aged 86, after dominating the Italian political, media and football landscape for over three decades.

ANSA