Prodi will rollback/eliminate any tax cuts, economic improvements Berlusconi did, and the 0 rate growth Italy has had for a long time will drop to a negative.
Too bad he was such a goofball. Prodi is a socialist communists through and through.
I hope the Italians can get through this ok.
I am not well-versed in the history of Italy. Can anyone tell me what their political scene was like before Mussolini came to power?
That's right. "Center-left" is European codeword for bedwetting, pink Che T-shirt wearing, communist. The center in Europe is about equivalent to Dennis Kucinich here (he'd be a moderate).
the 0 rate growth Italy has had for a long time will drop to a negative
Amazing that such a fascinating nation with such a tremendous impact on the world over the past 2000 years could have sunk so low. But with a history like Italy's, I'm sure the Italian people are unconcerned - they can take a long term view ...
In the mid to late 1800s the individual states or regions (not sure how best to describe them other than essentially feudal lands) began to join together through a nationalism similar to that in Germany about the same time (think Bismark).
Prior to WWI, the unified Italy was allied with Germany but broke that alliance to side with the allies.
After WWI, Italy (like the rest of the world) was hit by depression. Though not to the same extent as Germany, it was close, and that's why the people accepted fascism.
Also, in Italy there were no strong parties (I think it's still like that to some degree). That made for a weak government where a strong party was able to step in and take rule.
To energize the economy install communism. That's what they are doing in south America, should work in Italy --- negative growth is good.
Wonder why the Europeans think no one wants to invest in Europe -- question of the day.