ITALY: Electoral campaigning can now start in Italy, parliamentarians say after the government wins a confidence vote in the lower house of parliament on the 2013 budget, clearing the way for final approval of the package

Record ID: 327879

  • Title: ITALY: Electoral campaigning can now start in Italy, parliamentarians say after the government wins a confidence vote in the lower house of parliament on the 2013 budget, clearing the way for final approval of the package
  • Date: 21st December 2012
  • Summary: ROME, ITALY (DECEMBER 21, 2012) (REUTERS) **CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY** EXTERIOR OF SEAT OF GOVERNMENT ITALIAN AND EUROPEAN UNION FLAGS OUTSIDE GOVERNMENT SEAT VARIOUS OF TV CREW WITH LIFE-SIZE CARDBOARD CUT OUT OF ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER MARIO MONTI (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT RAFFAELE FITTO OF THE PDL PARTY SAYING: "Now the electoral campaign will start. As you can see, we demonstrated our responsibility and voted in the last confidence vote and now we will go forward to the election campaign." PEOPLE OUTSIDE SENATE SECURITY OUTSIDE SENATE (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, CARLO CICCIOLI OF THE PDL PARTY, SAYING: "I hope that decide on a political government because, the technical government, from the point of view of results, people say it has restored Italy's credibility, that Monti speaks fluent English, he is very dignified and that he is well-dressed but he has brought Italian people to their knees." LOGO FOR NEW CENTRE-RIGHT PARTY "BROTHERS OF ITALY" UNVEILED AT LAUNCH EVENT OUTSIDE THE GOVERNMENT SEAT NATIONAL ANTHEM BEING SUNG AT LAUNCH EVENT LOGO MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) FORMER ITALIAN DEFENCE MINISTER IGNAZIO LA RUSSA SAYING: "Being credible is worth much more today than finance, than the things that one says because everyone is able to say anything but it is the credibility that makes the difference." ITALIAN FLAG BEING WAVED AT LAUNCH EVENT LAUNCH EVENT IN PROGRESS
  • Embargoed: 5th January 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Italy
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA8MPNOQ7AFYQGMQL81OSQ1LFTH
  • Story Text: Italy's government easily won a confidence vote in the lower house of parliament on the 2013 budget, clearing the way for final approval of the package later on Friday (December 21).
    The government called a confidence vote to speed up passage of the bill, which passed with 373 votes in favour and 67 against.
    As soon as the budget is approved, technocrat Prime Minister Mario Monti will hold a cabinet meeting and then tender his resignation to President Giorgio Napolitano, political sources said, paving the way for a national election expected on Feb. 24.
    The budget aims to lower Italy's fiscal gap to 1.8 percent of gross domestic product in 2013 from a targeted 2.6 percent this year.

    "Now the electoral campaign will start. As you can see, we demonstrated our responsibility and voted in the last confidence vote and now we will go forward to the election campaign," said parliamentarian Raffaele Fitto following the vote.
    The widely anticipated move comes after Monti's technocrat government lost the support of Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right People of Freedom (PDL) party in parliament earlier this month.
    Carlo Ciccioli of the PDL said it was time politicians took over the technical government.

    "I hope that decide on a political government because, the technical government, from the point of view of results, people say it has restored Italy's credibility, that Monti speaks fluent English, he is very dignified and that he is well-dressed but he has brought Italian people to their knees," he said.
    Just around the corner from the parliament, former Italian defence minister Ignazio La Russa attended a launch event for the new centre-right party "Brothers of Italy".

    "Being credible is worth much more today than finance, than the things that one says because everyone is able to say anything but it is the credibility that makes the difference," La Russa said to cheers.
    European leaders including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso have called for Monti's economic reform agenda to continue but Italy's two main parties have said he should stay out of the race.
    Ordinary Italians, weary of repeated tax hikes and spending cuts, appear less convinced and opinion polls show little sign that voters are ready to give Monti a second term, with a survey this week showing 61 percent saying he should not stand.
    Whether or not Monti runs, he is expected to overshadow an election which will be fought out over the painful measures he has introduced to try to rein in Italy's huge public debt and revive its stagnant economy.
    ENDS
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