Italian General Election 2012 ?

[SPQR]

Confidence vote on Tuesday...after a few deputies left the majority,this might well be Berlusconi's last confidence vote.

[SPQR]

The left WILL be united,the only party that might (and hopefully will) NOT be part of the coalition is the FdS (the same communists which created all sorts of trouble in the Prodi governments).

[SPQR]

i'm not at all certain that left will win next italian election....they have no software-ideas since a long time, berlu keep a lot of fans, and far-left become more weak every year


I'm afraid than the destiny of the future government will depends of little center-party, christian-democrats and Fini fan club....

10% lead in polls...and thank God the far left is weaker and weaker,its leaders are a bunch of idiots.

[SPQR]

He's left the Quirinale without comment. No resignation for now.

Berlusconi will resign after the approval of a law with all the EU requests.
The President released a note,so it's official.

[SPQR]

You must also realize Italy is full of ignorants,and of people who benefit from Berlusconi's "policies".

Anyway,his approvals have decreased some 40% in the last 2 years.

[SPQR]

You must also realize Italy is full of ignorants,and of people who benefit from Berlusconi's "policies".

Anyway,his approvals have decreased some 40% in the last 2 years.

Also, you know, he owns half the telly (or whatever disturbingly high percentage it is) and has done for ages. And, as a result, cannot have not helped to shape social attitudes towards (for example) women.

Personally owns 3 of the main 7 channels,and controlled through the government other 2 of them (public ones)...
Anyway,fully agree with your post.

[SPQR]

Mario Monti has been nominated by President Napolitano as a "life-senator".
It's a mostly symbolic role (although they were the ones to save the Prodi government numerous times) assigned to former presidents or distinguished people from the scientific field.

This time,though,it's a clear move by Napolitano that after Berlusconi's official resignations there will be a tecnhocratic government (almost certainly led by Monti),and no snap elections until at least spring.

[SPQR]

Mario Monti has been nominated by President Napolitano as a "life-senator".

An almost entirely elected body except for a handful of members. Another quirk of the Italian system (or maybe there are other countries that have it that I'm not aware of) that I'll never understand.

They need to have a Summer election sometime. I'd love to be there for that.

The latest an election could be is June...

[SPQR]

Mario Monti has been nominated by President Napolitano as a "life-senator".

An almost entirely elected body except for a handful of members. Another quirk of the Italian system (or maybe there are other countries that have it that I'm not aware of) that I'll never understand.

They need to have a Summer election sometime. I'd love to be there for that.

The latest an election could be is June...

Aside from a snap election, right?

I don't think there would be a Summer election anyway (in an even numbered year, at least) because of the World Cup or Euros. I imagine that would kill turnout.

An election in July or August would be nonsense anyway,football or not.

The fact that the last referendum,held in mid-June,had a >50% turnout was a miracle.
Elections are always held between March and June...

[SPQR]

Mario Monti has been nominated by President Napolitano as a "life-senator".

An almost entirely elected body except for a handful of members. Another quirk of the Italian system (or maybe there are other countries that have it that I'm not aware of) that I'll never understand.

They need to have a Summer election sometime. I'd love to be there for that.

The latest an election could be is June...

Aside from a snap election, right?

I don't think there would be a Summer election anyway (in an even numbered year, at least) because of the World Cup or Euros. I imagine that would kill turnout.

An election in July or August would be nonsense anyway,football or not.

Well, I knew that for August since everyone - and it really seems like everyone - is away on vacation. But what about September through December if the government collapses?

That's not Summer
I don't recall any elections in the last years that happened in that period,also because there are a few economic "acts" that have to be approved around that time. But,theoretically,it's possible.

[SPQR]

That's not Summer
I don't recall any elections in the last years that happened in that period,also because there are a few economic "acts" that have to be approved around that time. But,theoretically,it's possible.

You said "The latest an election could be is June." I didn't know if that meant for the whole year.

No no,I meant before the summer.
And I still think about years in the academic way

[SPQR]

Of course they support a vaguely majoritarian system with a degree of personal electoral accountability; hasn't that been one of the causes of reformers in Italy since the Clean Hands business?

Yeah, indeed. Back in 1993, they established a system with was 75% FPP and 25% PR, but it worked like sh*t and didn't even prevent politcal fragmentation. As criticizable as the current system is, it's an improvement compared to the previous one.

Not really...the actual system is way worse than the previous one.
Right now,there is a referendum which still needs to be put on the agenda (it has received the needed number of signatures) to get back to the previous electoral law.
Right now,ALL of the deputies and senators are basically chosen by the party rather than by the people. It's nonsense.

Anyway,the electoral reform is one of the issues that the tecnhocratic government will have to face. PdL,Center and PD all have different opinions on it,so either we get again the Mattarellum (old electoral law) or some sort of compromise.

[SPQR]

As long as they change the actual electoral system,I'm open to anything.

[SPQR]

God am I enjoying these moments.

[SPQR]

Only leading by ten? That's pathetic.

No party or coalition has ever won with a bigger percentage since the times of Democrazia Cristiana...

[SPQR]

You can't just add percentages in a scenario where Berlusconi is gone.
PdL would basically cease to exist.

[SPQR]

This government might well last until 2013.
If the Parliament is not cooperative,though,I expect elections in the spring.

Btw,I like this cabinet.
Also,the new Minister of Justice is the vice-president of my university