Italy PM 'to submit resignation'

BBC News ^ | February 21 2007

[jmc1969]

Italian PM Romano Prodi is to hand his resignation to the country's president after losing a crucial foreign policy vote in the Senate, a minister says.

Several parties in Mr Prodi's coalition oppose Italy's deployment of 2,000 troops in Afghanistan and plans to expand a US airbase in northern Italy.

[ScaniaBoy]

D-mn! Prodi's government kept together 2 1/2 months longer than I predicted.

[Eurotwit]

Ack, I took too long to type in my post.

Apparently Prodi has handed in his resignation, and the Italian president has accepted it.

[lqclamar]

Good riddance to communist rubbish.

[prairiebreeze]

ping

[moose2004]

Bring back Berlusconi.

[Peach]

Oh, no. It's like 1938 Europe all over again.

[familyop]

lqclamar wrote:
"Good riddance to communist rubbish."

Yes, but is anti-American fascism any better? The vote was against expansion of a US base and against "foreign policy" there. Prodi and D'Alema were supporting the USA and War on Terror for the time being.

moose2004 wrote:
"Bring back Berlusconi."

Although he tried stay on a friendly footing with us, his people aren't really being friendly. Italy only sent non-combat troops to Iraq then fought us in regards to leftist, civilian, Italian operatives in Iraq.

And there's more. Italy is now Iran's main trading partner.

I warned Bush about Iraq: Italy's PM
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1512263/posts

Berlusconi protests over CIA ‘kidnap'
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1434969/posts

Freed Italians eye return to Iraq [Italy paid a ransom!]
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1231061/posts

It's up to us Americans to know what's really going on in western Europe and to better inform people there. That would be much more effective for our USA than to follow "old country" nationalism and blindness.

[Plateau]

Wow, the Italian Senate is further left than Prodi! Looks like Italy has lost all it's cajones.

[familyop]

Yes. There's the link in my last post to comment containing the full article, and here are a few more on other recent but related issues.

I warned Bush about Iraq: Italy's PM
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1512263/posts

Berlusconi protests over CIA ‘kidnap'
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1434969/posts

Freed Italians eye return to Iraq [Italy paid a ransom!]
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1231061/posts

IRAN: ITALY MUST RELY ON TEHRAN TO BOOST ROLE IN MIDDLE EAST, DIPLOMAT ["Main trading partner."]
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1690564/posts

My intent is to inform. If more Americans know the extents of anti-American and anti-defense sentiments in various parts of western Europe, more of us will try to inform Europeans against the European mainstream media tide (which is even worse than our own). When we don't know the facts about anti-American sentiment, we tend to allow false information to have exclusive reign in western Europe. Many in the USA emphasize the various "old country" identities of their ancestors. Paradoxically, that's a mistake on our part, as much as we love our allies. From emphasis in a more American identity, maybe we can help more instead of indulging in fantasies and complacency.

Most of my US ancestors, BTW, were of British descent.

[familyop]

...sorry. I posted that to the wrong thread. Someone on another one was asking for links.

[gondramB]

>>D-mn! Prodi's government kept together 2 1/2 months longer than I predicted. <<

For all our problems I would never trade our government for a parliamentary system where the PM has to keep constant majority support.

[familyop]

I agree. I only wish that so many parliamentarian governments had parties truly more like our Republican Party. ...and not so many parties.

[surely_you_jest]

And yet the British have the mother of all Parliaments, but still produced Margaret Thatcher.

[piasa]

The massive numbers of parties acts to fragment what should be a mainstream base and gives excessive influence to fringe groups, who like unfaithful sluts must be perpetually wooed in order to keep them in the house and maintain a coalition strong enough to rule.

Over time this is bound to result in an erosion of culture. Once you glorify the whores don't be surprised if your country takes on the hues of the red light district and traditional values are abandoned.