ITALY: Italian Premier Mario Monti's government survives two confidence votes but is still at risk after Silvio Berlusconi's party withdraws its support

Record ID: 327863

  • Title: ITALY: Italian Premier Mario Monti's government survives two confidence votes but is still at risk after Silvio Berlusconi's party withdraws its support
  • Date: 6th December 2012
  • Summary: ROME, ITALY (DECEMBER 6, 2012) (REUTERS) ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER MARIO MONTI AND MINISTERS AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER, MARIO MONTI, SAYING: "As I've said, I am and have been in contact with the President and I am waiting to hear his evaluation, following the already announced visit of the secretary of the PDL (People of Freedom party) Angelino Alfano. (JOURNALIST ASKING FOR CLARIFICATION OFF CAMERA) I mean the fact that it has been publicly announced that Alfano will go to the presidential palace to meet the head of the state." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER, MARIO MONTI, SAYING: "I have no plans to take any formal step, as I believe I have said more than once, I am waiting to hear the evaluation of the president." MEDIA MONTI STANDING UP VARIOUS OF MONTI AND MINISTERS LEAVING EXTERIOR OF PARLIAMENT (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT AND FORMER DEFENCE MINISTER OF SILVIO BERLUSCONI'S GOVERNMENT, IGNAZIO LA RUSSA, SAYING: "It is not up to us but the president to pull the plug and in any case, following the Italian constitution, the plug will be pulled in a short while. In any case, sooner or later, this country will have to return to an elected government, at the latest in the very first days of April and at the earliest, that will be decided by the president. With great sense of responsibility we could have made the government fall, but we kept it on its feet knowing that the budget law is coming up." MEDIA OUTSIDE PARLIAMENT (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT OF THE PD PARTY, MATTEO COLANINNO, SAYING: "As you've all seen, the People of Freedom (PDL) has decided to exit from the majority supporting this government, offloading the party's internal crisis and confusion onto the country. This is a very serious act, which also risks compromising all the sacrifices and efforts that have been made during this year." ITALIAN AND EUROPEAN UNION FLAGS OUTSIDE GOVERNMENT SEAT
  • Embargoed: 21st December 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Italy
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAESHHKMFZEAQ7GQFGNFEFJIXA5
  • Story Text: Silvio Berlusconi's party withdrew its support for Prime Minister Mario Monti on Thursday (December 6), raising the risk of a snap election in Italy, but President Giorgio Napolitano said he would work to avoid a crisis and there was no need for alarm.
    The centre-right People of Freedom (PDL) party walked out of a Senate confidence vote on a package of economic measures and abstained in a separate confidence vote in the parliament.
    Monti's government survived comfortably but the risk it could fall remained as tensions rose between the parties that have backed the technocrat government over the last year.
    Head of state Napolitano, who makes the final decision on whether to call an election, said there was no need for alarm on international markets and Italy's institutions were strong.
    Monti, addressing reporters in Rome following a cabinet meeting, said he was waiting to hear Napolitano's assessment after a meeting between the President and the secretary of PDL party Angelino Alfano on Friday (December 7) morning.

    "As I've said, I am and have been in contact with the President and I am waiting to hear his evaluation, following the already announced visit of the secretary of the PDL Angelino Alfano. I mean the fact that it has been publicly announced that Alfano will go to the presidential palace to meet the head of the state," Monti said.
    Alfano on Thursday said the party had not wanted to bring the government down but would decide over the next few days whether to do so.
    Napolitano has the power to call early elections if he judges the government to no longer have a ruling majority.

    "I have no plans to take any formal step, as I believe I have said more than once, I am waiting to hear the evaluation of the president," Monti added.
    If the government does fall, an election would likely be called only a few weeks earlier than the expected date in early March, but such a development would upset investors nervous about what will follow Monti.
    With all parties now clearly in campaign mode, Berlusconi strongly indicated on Wednesday (December 5) he would be the PDL election candidate.
    The PDL move to abstain from the vote on Thursday followed comments by one of Monti's ministers saying Berlusconi's return could be bad for Italy.

    "It is not up to us but the president to pull the plug and in any case, following the Italian constitution, the plug will be pulled in a short while. In any case, sooner or later, this country will have to return to an elected government, at the latest in the very first days of April and at the earliest, that will be decided by the president. With great sense of responsibility we could have made the government fall, but we kept it on its feet knowing that the budget law is coming up," said PDL parliamentarian Ignazio La Russa, who served as Minister of Defence in Berlusconi's government.
    Analysts say the PDL could easily fall apart before the election, leaving a void on the centre-right which has already lost substantial ground to the populist 5-Star Movement of comedian Beppe Grillo, which is second in opinion polls after the centre-left.
    Disillusioned PDL supporters are also believed to be a substantial bloc of the up to 50 percent of voters who say they would abstain in an election or have not made up their minds.
    Berlusconi's indecision has further undermined his party, whose support is now at less than half the level that won it a landslide election victory in 2008.
    The centre-left Democratic Party (PD), which is the main element with the PDL of a cross party alliance sustaining Monti, indicated it could ask Napolitano to dissolve parliament if the government could not count on the support of Berlusconi's party.

    "As you've all seen, the People of Freedom (PDL) has decided to exit from the majority supporting this government, offloading the party's internal crisis and confusion onto the country. This is a very serious act, which also risks compromising all the sacrifices and efforts that have been made during this year," said parliamentarian of the Democratic Party, Matteo Colaninno.
    Napolitano has previously said he will not call elections until parliament has approved a package of economic reforms.
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