Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said on Friday he would name a successor to former Industry Minister Claudio Scajola next week. Scajola, a key figure driving moves to revive nuclear power in Italy, resigned in May after being implicated in an improper real estate deal, although he denied any wrongdoing, Reuters reported. Berlusconi, who took over Scajola's portfolio on an interim basis, said in a statement that he would propose a name to President Giorgio Napolitano next week. His announcement comes ahead of the resumption of parliament on Wednesday. A successor to Scajola had been expected to be named last month, with deputy industry minister Paolo Romani seen as the frontrunner for the job, but a decision was delayed until after the summer break. Other names mentioned as potential candidates include that of the Agriculture Minister Giancarlo Galan and Raffaello Vignali, vice president of a parliamentary commission on industry. Scajola was only one of several ministers and Berlusconi allies caught up in a spate of corruption investigations earlier this year. In a separate statement, the government denied that the delay in appointing a new industry minister had resulted in a power vacuum.
