Italian Referendums - 12/13 June 2011

[Antonio the Sixth]

LOL Bersani LOL...

[SPQR]

YES!!!
Even though the TV's barely mentioned this referendum,and the government decided to detach it from the municipal elections (2 weeks ago),we made it!!

(FWIW,I voted NO on the two questions on the water privatisation,and YES on nuclear and Berlusconi-law).

[Tender Branson]

YES!!!
Even though the TV's barely mentioned this referendum,and the government decided to detach it from the municipal elections (2 weeks ago),we made it!!

(FWIW,I voted NO on the two questions on the water privatisation,and YES on nuclear and Berlusconi-law).

Yeah, I read that the Berlusconi-controlled RAI even broadcast a fake election date to confuse voters to vote on another date instead of yesterday and today.

And the weather people at RAI even encouraged people to go to the beach instead of voting (but that is a minor offense) ...

[SPQR]

YES!!!
Even though the TV's barely mentioned this referendum,and the government decided to detach it from the municipal elections (2 weeks ago),we made it!!

(FWIW,I voted NO on the two questions on the water privatisation,and YES on nuclear and Berlusconi-law).

Yeah, I read that the Berlusconi-controlled RAI even broadcast a fake election date to confuse voters to vote on another date instead of yesterday and today.

And the weather people at RAI even encouraged people to go to the beach instead of voting (but that is a minor offense) ...

That's true,both TG1 and TG2 got the dates wrong.
And on saturday and sunday,TG1's weather people said "it's gonna be a great weekend,you should go to the beach" while the map was full of clouds! Unbelievable...finally,the Web is becoming more important than our regime-like Tv.

[Antonio the Sixth]

I always watch La sette. This TV is a blessing in an otherwise Berlusconi-dominated landscape.

[Tender Branson]

When everything is counted, about 56% of Italians should have voted (incl. the Italians abroad with lower participation).

That means out of 50,42 Mio. eligible voters, about 28,23 Mio. will have voted.

Out of these, 95% (26,82 Mio.) will have voted "Si", 5% "No" (1,41 Mio.)

That further means that of ALL eligible voters

* 53.2% voted AGAINST the 4 Berlusconi initiatives
*   2.8% voted FOR the 4 Berlusconi initiatives
* 44.0% were non-voters

[Iannis]

Yet another country joining the club of stupid hysterics. Unbelievable.

Italians should probably worry more about having the world's 3rd worse productivity growth during the last decade than about the imagined threat from nuclear power.

that's right.

I completely agree.

[Gustaf]

Yet another country joining the club of stupid hysterics. Unbelievable.

Though I'm pleased about the rebuff to Berlusconi, I can't help but feel the same way.  Embarrassing.  Just goes to show how epically humans fail at understanding probability.

Yeah, yeah, I'd have voted like Italy on the Berlusconi-law too of course.

[Hash]

Nice! Now Canada is really alone in the stupid countries club.

[TheGlobalizer]

Yet another country joining the club of stupid hysterics. Unbelievable.

Though I'm pleased about the rebuff to Berlusconi, I can't help but feel the same way.  Embarrassing.  Just goes to show how epically humans fail at understanding probability.

[Hans-im-Glück]

Yet another country joining the club of stupid hysterics. Unbelievable.

Here speak a slave of the nuclear lobby.

This referendum shows that there gives some hope for Italy

[Franzl]

Yet another country joining the club of stupid hysterics. Unbelievable.

Italians should probably worry more about having the world's 3rd worse productivity growth during the last decade than about the imagined threat from nuclear power.

^^^^^^^^, precisely.

[Antonio the Sixth]

These referendums were really not that much about nuclear power, TBF. It's nothing comparable to what happened in Germany, for example. The main point of all this was really Berlusconi. That's regrettable, but at least the message is clear.

[Keystone Phil]

Yet another country joining the club of stupid hysterics. Unbelievable.

They want clean energy, Gustaf! So, naturally, they'll continue to use more oil from Libya!

What a disaster. Time to go, Silvio.

[Keystone Phil]

(FWIW,I voted NO on the two questions on the water privatisation,and YES on nuclear and Berlusconi-law).

I guess I misunderstood the water questions if even you voted "No" to them! 

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

What a disaster. Time to go, Silvio.

Never thought I'd see this. This is like me calling for Obama to be primaried.

[Gustaf]

These referendums were really not that much about nuclear power, TBF. It's nothing comparable to what happened in Germany, for example. The main point of all this was really Berlusconi. That's regrettable, but at least the message is clear.

Wouldn't it have sufficed to vote down the law that was about him? I mean, Italy's industry is in enough trouble as it is, without having to keep energy prices (not to mention hurting the environment)

[minionofmidas]

You're aware that Italy has no nuclear power plants right now - ie, they'd have to build their own? You're aware that they don't pay (big time) a long long time after investment - too long for their construction to ever occur under market conditions? They'd built by the taxpayer for some private (or part state owned) company that then reaps the profits. Exactly as everywhere else in the world.

[Keystone Phil]

What a disaster. Time to go, Silvio.

Never thought I'd see this. This is like me calling for Obama to be primaried.

I've actually been saying this for over a year now both here and elsewhere. Not sure why I worded it as "time to go" since it's been well over due.

[minionofmidas]

Just goes to show how epically humans fail at understanding probability.

While that hardly requires showing... I'd like to see your reasoning here.

(Of course it's kind of moot because any semi-solid plans to actually build plants have been put on indefinite hold right now anyhow, as a result of Fukushima. The referendum process was begun before Fukushima.)

[Gustaf]

You're aware that Italy has no nuclear power plants right now - ie, they'd have to build their own? You're aware that they don't pay (big time) a long long time after investment - too long for their construction to ever occur under market conditions? They'd built by the taxpayer for some private (or part state owned) company that then reaps the profits. Exactly as everywhere else in the world.

Yes, I'm well aware of all that. That's why I said "keep up" rather than "raise".

[SPQR]

(FWIW,I voted NO on the two questions on the water privatisation,and YES on nuclear and Berlusconi-law).

I guess I misunderstood the water questions if even you voted "No" to them! 

Well,actually I spoiled my ballot paper on the first question and voted No on the second.

The thing is,privatisation isn't bad per se. If the law was a good one,I'd have voted No...BUT it was a very poorly written law. At the same time,I didn't agree with keeping the privates out of it.
The second question was about allowing profits to the privates; I voted no because if they are to get into the water business,they must get some sort of remuneration.
The thing is,those two questions were presented poorly to the vast majority of people,who just thought that water would be given to those mean entrepeneurs who would make trillions of profit.

[Keystone Phil]

The thing is,those two questions were presented poorly to the vast majority of people,who just thought that water would be given to those mean entrepeneurs who would make trillions of profit.

And you're center - left because...? 

[SPQR]

The thing is,those two questions were presented poorly to the vast majority of people,who just thought that water would be given to those mean entrepeneurs who would make trillions of profit.

And you're center - left because...? 

I am center-left because I believe that,if there are privatizations,there should be close monitoring on their actions

Center-left does not mean dumb or naif...

[Keystone Phil]

The first poll since the referenda results...

PD/SeL/Verdi/IdV/PSI/Radicali - 42.5%

PdL/LN - 39%

NPI (FLI/UdC/ApI/MpA) - 13%


I'm shocked that the PdL and Lega Nord aren't polling much worse. I guess it's important to remember that this is still Italy.   It looks like Fini, Casini and Rutelli will really be the kingmakers. Even though the numbers aren't that horrible for the coalition, Berlusconi's approval rating is still terrible at 29%.