As do the "right-wingers" in the streets...
Berlusconi is back, baby!!
Posted on 01/24/2008 8:58:44 PM PST by DeaconBenjamin
Italy’s centre-left coalition government fell on Thursday night after Romano Prodi, prime minister, narrowly lost a tumultuous vote of confidence in the Senate that his allies had advised him not to call.
Defeated at the end of a long day of drama and just 20 months in office, Mr Prodi submitted his resignation to Giorgio Napolitano, the president.
While keeping his pride intact, the loss could mark the end of Mr Prodi’s career as an elected politician after leading two governments that failed to complete less than half their full term. Mr Prodi has indicated he will not run again, and Walter Veltroni, mayor of Rome, has already emerged as his successor on the left.
Italy appeared on Thursday night ready to plunge into a new chapter of uncertainty, against a background of a seriously slowing economy and a waste disposal crisis of massive proportions in Naples that has exposed the weakness of central government.
Silvio Berlusconi, former prime minister and leader of the centre-right opposition, pressed his demands for early elections. Flag-waving supporters mobilised in central Rome echoed his demands.
Mr Napolitano, on the other hand, wants to have an interim government formed that would have the mandate to reform the electoral system before going to the polls. Mr Veltroni on Thursday night backed the president, but Mr Berlusconi and other opposition leaders rejected such a project.
A master tactician, Mr Berlusconi had earlier fostered divisions in Mr Prodi’s disparate, nine-party coalition by engaging Mr Veltroni in talks to reform the electoral system in favour of larger parties.
The alarming prospect of extinction was one factor in the decision of the small, family-run centrist Udeur party, led by Clemente Mastella, to pull out of Mr Prodi’s coalition on Monday. Senator Lamberto Dini, a former prime minister, also withdrew the support of his small Liberal Democratic party.
Chaos erupted before the vote when Nuccio Cusumano, one of three Udeur senators, broke ranks and declared his continued support for Mr Prodi. With others hurling insults, he collapsed in a faint and was carried out of the chamber on a stretcher, the session suspended.
Italians watched proceedings on television in dismay, their anger at the establishment reflected in opinion polls showing little trust in the political classes. Nonetheless, surveys indicate that Mr Berlusconi would comfortably win early elections.
In the end, not even the support of several unelected life senators could save Mr Prodi and the government lost by 161 votes to 156.
Looking exhausted after the drawn-out crisis, Mr Prodi said another change of government – his is the 61st postwar administration – was “a luxury Italy cannot afford”. Pointing to the Global economic downturn, Mr Prodi argued that Italy needed continuity.
But in interviews, allied senators and government officials said his stubborn refusal to heed their advice and step down before the Senate vote had exposed divisions within the coalition’s main Democratic party, led by Mr Veltroni.
Canada, France, and Germany’s political scenes all turned sharply to the right since the Iraq War began. It now appears Italy is heading that way too.
This is a welcome trend.
Um, say what?
Oh, my, now isn’t this interesting? Berlusconi may yet send the Left packing. Again. BTT.
Berlusconi is back from the political scrap heap?
That man has more lives then a cat...he also was rock solid on the War on Terror who lost by a handful of votes...and he was a complete character...the man was a social menace...LOL!
We’ll we can still hope for that turn in our congress
If they can't have continuity, at least they have consistency.
... the 61st postwar administration ...
Italy was our friend, then they voted in Prodi. I guess they have regrets now.
As do the "right-wingers" in the streets...
Berlusconi is back, baby!!
Prodi won by a very small amount, maybe 5,000 votes, or the number of dead who vote in Cook county Illinois...
Interesting. Thanks for posting.
Another leftist regime going downhill in Europe. I am surprised just in few years that most of the leftist regime in Europe are gone, especially in western Europe. I can only name Spain as the remaining leftist regime in western Europe.
ping
Actually, I recall reading that Italians voting in the US made up the margin of victory for Prodi.
Okay, so, my reading is just now catching up...
A Third Term For Berlusconi?
Italy to Hold Snap Elections in April
February 06, 2008
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,533444,00.html
Prodi Resigns, Berlusconi Rejoices
By Michael Braun in Rome
January 25, 2008
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,530904,00.html
Prodi Coalition on the Brink of Collapse
January 22, 2008
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,530170,00.html
Dissatisfaction Grows With Italy’s Political Caste
How Long Can Prodi Hang On?
By Alexander Smoltczyk in Rome
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,489523,00.html
earlier I’d found a December 2007 article on Spiegel regarding Berlusconi’s formation of a new political party, but closed the tab by accident, and now the link doesn’t show up. Google didn’t turn up anything.
Veltroni Faces a Brutus Dilemma
By Alexander Smoltczyk in Rome
October 25, 2007
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,513607,00.html
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