Posted on 12/09/2012 10:47:35 PM PST by bruinbirdman
Mario Monti, the Italian prime miniser, has told the country's president he plans to resign after Silvio Berlusconi's party withdrew crucial support in parliament from the technocratic government.
President Giorgio Napolitano's office announced Mr Monti's decision after they met for nearly two hours of talks late Saturday at the Quirinale palace, the president's official residence in Rome.
An offical statement released by the president's office said Mr Monti had told the head of state that without the support of Mr Berlusconi's party, "he cannot further carry out his mandate, and consequently made clear his intention to resign" .
Mr Monti's decision came after members of Mr Berlusconi's People of Freedom party abstained or withdrew from a vote in the Senate on a package of economic measures on Thursday.
The technocrat prime minister said he would resign as soon as crucial budget legislation was approved. That is likely to occur before the end of the year and may force early elections after leaders across the political spectrum immediately pledged to approve the law as quickly as possible.
The premier's resignation came just hours after Mr Berlusconi announced his intention to run for a fourth term as prime minister and only a day after Angelino Alfano, the leader of Mr Berlusconi's centre right party, said that the Monti administration had run its course.
"I am coming back out of a sense of responsibility," Mr Berlusconi told reporters outside his AC Milan football club. "I am not in the race for a good position, I am running to win." But Mr Berlusconi has an uphill battle ahead of him as his party's popularity hit a record low of 14 % on Friday - half the level of support of his main opponent
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
They’ll just get another politician that’s loyal to “Europe”. How better to preserve the façade of freedom, after all?
Definitely the Commission, aka the EU’s Politburo.
The average duration of an Italian administration is about 3 months.
This is just business as usual.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.