Heart scare won't stop Berlusconi in politics-aides

ROME, Nov 28 (Reuters) Italy's Silvio Berlusconi underwent more hospital checks today after fainting at a rally this weekend, but the ex-prime minister planned to get straight back into the political fray after his discharge due tomorrow.

With the press speculating who could succeed him as head of the centre-right opposition, aides said illness would not stop the 70-year-old media tycoon, Italy's richest man, from leading a major rally in Rome on Saturday.

''He should be out tomorrow. His mind is already on the demonstration on the 2nd. He'll rest as much as possible ahead of that,'' said a spokesman for the founder of Forza Italia, Italy's largest party, and leader of the opposition bloc.

Berlusconi, whose vitality and youthful looks aided by hair transplants and facelifts belie his age, collapsed as he addressed a rally on Sunday where he was talking about his political legacy.

He recovered consciousness a few minutes later and blamed the heat of the conference room, while doctors identified an irregular heartbeat not unusual in people of his age.

Berlusconi was initially admitted to Milan's San Raffaele hospital for 24 hours but doctors decided to keep him in for checks until Wednesday.

Among wellwishers calling him were US President George W Bush, to whom Berlusconi was a close ally for his five years in power, the Vatican and Prime Minister Romano Prodi.

Berlusconi's daughter, Marina, who is chairman of the family holding company Fininvest and publisher Mondadori, said there was nothing to worry about. ''We got a bit of a scare but now, thankfully, he's fine,'' she told Repubblica daily.

But his collapse came as a shock for the centre right, which he has dominated since entering politics in 1994.

There had been whispered speculation of who might succeed him since he narrowly lost to centre-left leader Romano Prodi in elections in April. It began to grow louder, with Corriere della Sera newspaper ranking the most likely candidates.

Most popular among centre-right voters in its opinion poll carried out by Ispo was Berlusconi's foreign minister Gianfranco Fini of the National Alliance, whose is relatively respected across the political spectrum despite his post-fascist past.

He had a 74 per cent approval rating among bloc supporters and 34 per cent among the electorate at large. Second came Pier Ferdinando Casini of the centrist UDC and third Giulio Tremonti, who was Berlusconi's finance minister.

Speculation that Berlusconi might step aside had been smouldering after pro-Berlusconi paper Libero last week quoted him as telling a dinner party he did not intend to stand again as prime minister, something he has since denied.

Should he decide to step down, the succession would very complicated. Forza Italia is a personal vehicle for Berlusconi with no heir apparent while the bloc is split on major issues like the 2007 budget, with the UDC is not joining Saturday's rally against Prodi's tax hikes and spending cuts.

Berlusconi's illness caused a delay in his trial for fraud at his broadcaster Mediaset, the latest in a series of legal battles.

The judge yesterday postponed proceedings until Friday.

Berlusconi denies all wrongdoing in the case, where he is charged with 13 others including British lawyer David Mills, estranged husband of British Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell.

REUTERS SSC VV1731