ITALY: POLITICS - Italian Prime Minister seeks to avert crisis with parliament vote
Record ID:
1533602
ITALY: POLITICS - Italian Prime Minister seeks to avert crisis with parliament vote
- Title: ITALY: POLITICS - Italian Prime Minister seeks to avert crisis with parliament vote
- Date: 22nd January 2008
- Summary: (1210GMT FLASH) ROME, ITALY (JANUARY 22, 2008) (REUTERS) MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT IN LOWER HOUSE GOVERNMENT SEATED IN PARLIAMENT (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) PRIME MINISTER ROMANO PRODI, SAYING: "As per the constitution, I ask you members of parliament and afterwards members of the Senate, to to express your opinion with a vote of confidence on the speech I have just made." PRO-GOVERNMENT BENCHES APPLAUDING (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) PRIME MINISTER ROMANO PRODI, SAYING: "We need continuity of action above all at a moment in which the world economy is faced with negative developments, the ultimate consequences of which we can not yet comprehend." WIDE VIEW OF PARLIAMENT ROMANO PRODI AFTER SPEECH SHAKING HANDS WITH MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT PRO-GOVERNMENT MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT APPLAUDING WIDE VIEW OF PARLIAMENT
- Embargoed: 8th February 2008 03:31
- Keywords:
- Location: Italy
- Country: Italy
- Topics: Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA9MDI8TX0MFLIF6DC2VHLMFO48
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
- Story Text: Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi submitted his centre-left government to what may be its final test by asking parliament for a confidence vote in on Tuesday (January 22) after the defection of an ally pushed it to the brink of collapse.
Clemente Mastella, whose Catholic party Udeur had been crucial in ensuring Prodi's slender majority in the Senate, said on Monday (January 21) his party would no longer back the government and favoured snap elections.
Prodi was left little alternative but to resign or submit his leadership to a confidence vote.
Newspapers on Tuesday ran with headlines 'End of the race' and 'Mastella's vendetta and crisis' as Prodi's government prepared for the second call for a confidence vote in his short reign of government.
"Italy needs an electoral reform because the present electoral system does not guarantee governability," said political analyst Professor Franco Pavoncello.
"What we are seeing here is that the present government is passing laws with very, very tiny majorities which are always changing and being put together. Obviously a strong government cannot work in these conditions,"
Pavoncello added.
Prodi has had a turbulent ride since coming to power in May 2006, after the closest election in modern Italian history. Weakened by constant infighting in his Catholic-to-communist coalition, he briefly had to resign last year, but no major ally had previously withdrawn support altogether.
"It's marvellous, it's right because at the end of the day what has Prodi done," said Giulio Fortunato, happy that Prodi may soon step down.
"God we are in a mess, whichever way it goes we are in a mess but I don't see that he can stay," said Marissa Neri explaining that like most Italians she is fed up with weak Italian governments.
The Prime Minister told parliament during his speech that Italy needed a stable government to steer it through times of global financial uncertainty.
"We need continuity of action above all at a moment in which the world economy is faced with negative developments, the ultimate consequences of which we can not yet comprehend," he said.
The confidence vote in the lower house is due at 1600GMT on Wednesday (January 23) where Prodi's comfortable majority should mean a victory.
The vote in the upper Senate will be probably take place on Thursday (January 24) where his slim majority would mean the vote could go either way. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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