As long as the Germans remain undecided about whether they are ready for more reforms or prefer to keep muddling through, a new vote could well produce the same inconclusiveresult as the last one.
It is far from certain that Mr Berlusconi would be removed by a snap election, and an inconclusiveresult could destabilise the one country in southern Europe that has so far managed to avoid scaring the markets.
The new tests could be incorporated into or even replace current, first-trimester screenings, some of which can prove inconclusive and result in women being sent for unnecessary invasive tests.