Italy 2013: The official thread

[RogueBeaver]

PD senator just tweeted that Bersani will resign!   Once a new president is elected. So find a freakin' name already.

[RogueBeaver]

Who's that? Anyways, I'm guessing Bersani's resignation automatically triggers the primary process upon taking effect? To be scheduled by the party executive obviously.

[RogueBeaver]

Question is will PD take that advice or go back to Berlusconi? I read Grillo's English blog post on it and for once he made sense. Dunno why PD didn't go with Rodota from the outset... except that their soon-to-be-ex leader is a political moron.

[RogueBeaver]

He has officially resigned. Thanks for doing the right thing, even if a little late.

[RogueBeaver]

The person who allegedly schemed to sink Prodi is the infamous Massimo d'Alema. What a piece of sh*t.

The POS got Bersani to resign by sinking Prodi. So not all bad. Now if the presidency can be resolved ASAP, then primaries can kick off.

[RogueBeaver]

PD will cast blank ballots in tomorrow's vote. Dunno why.

[RogueBeaver]

Berlusconi said he's open to a joint candidate. So decide whether they can get enough votes for a deal with him or enough for Rodota, then vote.

[RogueBeaver]

Even if all of them had voted for Prodi he still wouldn't have won. Bersani's the one who blew a 10-point lead and then blew the presidential negotiations... but yeah, in a larger sense I agree that he's the symptom and not the cause.

[RogueBeaver]

PdL will also be casting blank ballots tomorrow. Can't find a candidate quickly enough, or some other reason?

[RogueBeaver]

Whoa: Reports that Napolitano will accept a second term- whether a full one or merely an extension is unclear. He wants Amato as an interim PM or elected President as a condition. Might push the election back to autumn or next spring.

[RogueBeaver]

Napolitano has accepted.

[RogueBeaver]

I guess he resigns partway into the new term, I highly doubt he'll be there till he's 94. Barca doesn't like the idea, ass that he is.

[RogueBeaver]

Napolitano reelected in a landslide. Now the hard part begins.

[RogueBeaver]

No. Another interim government, electoral law or even constitutional (French system) overhaul, then elections in the fall or next spring. Plus PD primaries, since Bersani's resignation will take effect very soon.

[RogueBeaver]

741 votes, or 74%.

[RogueBeaver]

Government consultations begin on Tuesday.

[RogueBeaver]

Someone please euthanize the PD.

They'd just regroup under another name. Anyhoo, Bersani has now resigned and won't participate in the consulations- I assume the PD parliamentary leaders will take charge until primaries can be triggered?

[RogueBeaver]

No term limits for a president, just never been done before. They floated a second term for Ciampi ("Ciampi-bis") in '06 but he rejected the idea.

[RogueBeaver]

The PD won't hold a primary till September earliest, if they survive that long.

http://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2013/04/20/pd-verso-congresso-rischio-scissione-giasfida-renzi-barca/570398/

Phil: Eurocrisis happened, something which the Italian political system wasn't designed for and pushed it well beyond its limits. Thus the rapid deterioration, if not quite implosion. Desperately need a new electoral law, though some are speculating about a constitutional convention which would switch to either a French or pure presidential system.

[RogueBeaver]

If not at least loosely allied they won't win an election under this system. Or to put it another way, Grillo would've had a temporary Camera majority.

[RogueBeaver]

Renzi is running whenever the primary trigger is pulled.

http://www.gazzettadelsud.it/news/english/43629/Renzi-primed-for-centre-left-leadership-challenge.html

[RogueBeaver]

Looks like Amato or Leta will get the nod for PM. Meanwhile Berlusconi is now ahead by 5 or 7, depending on the poll. Congrats Phil.

[RogueBeaver]

I'll stick with PD... if they nominate Renzi. Otherwise not endorsing anyone.

[RogueBeaver]

So long as SB's fingerprints aren't visibly on anything unpopular, he won't take a hit.

[RogueBeaver]

Berlusconi gets sentenced to 4 years for his media charges, but can still appeal to the Court of Cassation.