Mario Monti has been appointed by the Italian president to take over the Italian government as prime minister.

Monti replaces Silvio Berlusconi - who dominated Italian politics for nearly two decades.

The new prime minister has the monumental task of pulling the country back from the brink of financial chaos.

Time, however, is running out for Italy's unelected man at the top. It is expected that he will announce a new government on Monday.

Al Jazeera's Barbara Serra reports from Rome, the Italian capital.