Italian General Election 2012 ?

[Iannis]

I think there will be no election before 2013

[Iannis]

I think that there could be a new center-right government with Letta or Alfano, and this will be positive also for PD, because it won't have to take the responsiblity of approve unpopular and neoliberal economic reforms that would put it in a unconfortable position, in case of technocratic government or even in case of leftist victory at early elections

[Iannis]

Alfano seems to be specualted about a lot in the Italian media right now. But does anyone here believe he could turn the tides for Italy (or the PdL)? He basically looks like a caricature of a dim-witted DC apparatchik to me.

DC apparatchik is the best that post-war italy offered in politics :-)

[Iannis]

Forgive me for asking what must seem like a very obvious question that has probably been answered before - but - How is it possible that Berlusconi still has even the meager support he has in Italy. From polls I've seen there is still something like 30% of Italians who approve of him (I realize that leaves 70% who do not) - but I want to know how ANYONE in that country - regardless of political philosophy could possibly approve of such an exreable human being. It goes without saying that anyone to the left of the far right in Italy hates Berlusconi right off the bat for his politics. But then even you are a rightwing free-market type - or (this being Italy_ a devout Catholic anti-Communist who used to always vote for the Chrstian Democrats because the vatican ordered you to - here is a man who sleeps with underage prostitutes, brags about sex with a harem of women, has been divorced  numerous times, has been charged so much corruption so many times I've lost count and on top of all that he has literally broken every sinle solitary promise he ever made is clearly running the country into the ground!!

In Canada when Brian Mulroney got really unpopular in the early 90s - his approval numbers fell into single digits - and he wasn't even having sex with children! What does it take to make 100% of Italians see Berlusconi as a horror show? Who are the people who still like him???

DL, you can't understand because your politics in your let's say emisphere is totally personalistic. In Europe it's ideologic, so, even though now personalism arrived also here, and evene though Berlusconi's larger than life personality, still people vote according to their personal cultural, ideological inclinations. One of the leftist mistakes in last 20 years has been to concentrate on Berlusconi figures, while at least after 2001 who voted the centre-right, like me, did this not for Silvio, but becaus belonging to some stream like christian-democracy, nationalism, populism, neo-liberal tendencis, conservatorism, anti-communism. Well, these tendecies are still the first issue, and many people maybe are disappointed by Berlusconi, but fear more the opposition's likely choices. Regarding me, I would have like to have a Margaret Thatcher as prime minister, though, nasty, neoliberal, and personally and ethically perfect, so very different from Berlusconi, and now I can't trust who criticized Berlusconi government because he made "too many spending cuts", since my position is that he did too few!!! Is it clear?

[Iannis]

I am not taking issue with the fact that 30% or more Italians would still vote for right of centre parties - that is to be expected for all the reasons you describe. I am more shocked that ANYONE in Italy still approves of Berlusconi as an individual or as PM. If I were a rightwing neo-liberal Italian who wished for an Italian version of Margaret Thatcher - it would certainly vote for one of the rightwing parties in the next Italian election, but I would also STRONG DISAPPROVE of Silvio Berlusconi both as a human being and as a Prime Minister!  

I just can't believe that there is still anyone left in Italy who is an apologist for his personal conduct and performance. In Italy there is high correlation between being a church-going Catholic and voting for the right - how can anyone who calls themself Catholic not be nauseated by a man who is a serial statutory rapist??? 

Ok, but he's not my father or friend and I'm not judging anything different but its government, not him, and even if the question is about his person, in reality it's a political question, as intended by electors, and the answer won't be separated from the personal political position

[Iannis]

The previus system was hellish, firsty because FPTP is, in my opinion, not democratic and not representative, secondly because blackmail by smaller parties was very common. Now there is no choice of MPs, even though it's the same in Spain and Germany. I support preferences, and a german system with 4% threshold

[Iannis]

The central point for the centre-right is whether it will be reunited or not, with Berlusconi not being the central figure now. Today Fini said that there could  be not anymore a Third pole, without Berlusconi, and a reunification. In perspective this is the future, but we don't know when

[Iannis]

They are all moderate and centrist, some slightly towards right, some left. And some of them quite catholic.
The majority is teaching in private university, Bocconi (close to entrepreneurs, quite neoliberal) and Cattolica (catholic university)