Italian Media: Berlusconi May Have Bulgarian Girlfriend

Berlusconi, 74, said last weekend he was in a "stable, intimate relationship with a woman", hitting back at allegations that he had sex with underage prostitutes. Italian papers have since been wildly speculating about who the mysterious woman in the Italian prime minister's life might be.

According to the Italian "Free Press Lego", the Bulgarian Darina Pavlova is the lady in question.

Pavlova is the widow of Iliya Pavlov, a businessman murdered in a gangland hit in the murky times after the fall of Communism. She has been a regular guest of Berlusconi and their friendship has been followed by the Italian and Bulgarian public for years.

Speaking to the former Bulgarian prime minister Sergei Stanishev back in 2009, Berlusconi joked: "The truth is Darina Pavlova has a fantastic daughter - and you know my interest in minors."

Meanwhile, Italian opposition parties stepped up calls on Tuesday for Berlusconi to resign over a probe into allegations he paid for sex with several young women, including a 17-year old nightclub dancer.