ITALY: Thousands demonstrate in central Rome against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's government

Record ID: 739605

  • Title: ITALY: Thousands demonstrate in central Rome against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's government
  • Date: 6th November 2011
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) ITALIAN CITIZEN, MAURO ROSSI SAYING: "It's a little bit difficult for me to say, so many have said that Berlusconi will either resign or fall, he has never fallen. But the day of reckoning will come for him too, in some way he will have to leave. He has caused a lot of damage and perhaps someone who takes responsibility would leave." DEMONSTRATORS DEMONSTRATOR WAVING FLAG (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) ITALIAN CITIZEN, ROSALBA SALVATI SAYING: "I can't tell you what will happen in the upcoming days I just know that the premier said that we are rich, we are well, the restaurants are full, that's what he said last night, and then said we've misunderstood it later, that's what he always says." (REPORTER ASKING OFF CAMERA: "How do you think it's going to finish?") "I don't know. He needs to hurry up and go home." DEMONSTRATORS WAVING FLAGS (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) ITALIAN CITIZEN, GIOVANNADI FROSCIO SAYING: "He needs to resign, right away. We have other projects to take care of in Italy. He's done enough already. It's enough."
  • Embargoed: 21st November 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Italy, Italy
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: Economy,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAC4RJ0NYP6RMPZ4UDAKLA9YBLT
  • Story Text: Thousands took to a central Roman square on Saturday (November 5) to voice their anger over the Italian government's handling of the economic crisis and the refusal of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to step down.
    The demonstration was organised by the opposition Democratic Party and featured musical numbers and speeches.
    Berlusconi refused to resign on Friday (November 4) despite a party rebellion that has brought his centre-right coalition to the brink of collapse in the face of a growing economic crisis.
    Berlusconi is widely believed to have already lost the numbers he needs to survive in parliament but he told reporters at a G20 summit in France he still held a solid majority and would continue to govern.
    "It's a little bit difficult for me to say, so many have said that Berlusconi will either resign or fall, he has never fallen. But the day of reckoning will come for him too, in some way he will have to leave. He has caused a lot of damage and perhaps someone who takes responsibility would leave," said Mauro Rossi who had travelled to the demonstration from the Tuscany region.
    Two deputies from Berlusconi's PDL party this week defected to the centrist UDC, taking his support in the 630-seat lower house of parliament to a likely 315 compared with the 316 he needed to win a confidence vote last month.
    But at least seven other former loyalists have called for a new government and could vote against him.
    Berlusconi, one of Italy's richest men, still has significant powers of patronage and he and his closest aides are expected to spend the weekend trying to win back support for a parliamentary showdown on Tuesday (November 8).
    Some rebels have already threatened to vote against Berlusconi in the vote to sign off on the 2010 budget.
    Berlusconi faced concerted calls to resign when he lost a previous vote on this routine measure, which was almost unprecedented. Although it is not a confidence motion, he would come under huge pressure if he suffered a second defeat.
    The premier has promised European leaders he will call a formal confidence motion within 15 days to pass amendments to a budget bill incorporating new measures to stimulate growth and cut Italy's huge debt. That will be in the Senate where he has a more solid majority but it could still bring him down.
    "I can't tell you what will happen in the upcoming days I just know that the premier said that we are rich, we are well, the restaurants are full, that's what he said last night, and then said we've misunderstood it later, that's what he always says," added Rosalba Salvati from Umbria.
    "I don't know. He needs to hurry up and go home, she added.
    "He needs to resign, right away. We have other projects to take care of in Italy. He's done enough already. It's enough," said Giovanna di Froscio.
    Underlining the foreboding atmosphere, yields on 10-year Italian bonds hit a euro lifetime high of 6.43 percent at one point on Friday, close to levels which led to bailouts of Ireland and Portugal.
    Berlusconi, beset by a string of sex scandals and court cases, has consistently resisted pressure from groups ranging from a powerful business lobby to the Catholic Church to stand down.
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