Italy 2013: The official thread

[Antonio the Sixth]

Pro forma, obviously. We still haven't heard of any presidential candidates proposed by either side.

Maybe it's better this way. Presidential Elections in Italy are like Conclaves: if people view you as the favorite, you're probably doomed...

[RogueBeaver]

So I did some Googling about the leaders' foreign language skills. Bersani apparently speaks decent French but might need a script. Monti is excellent in French and English. Renzi speaks pretty good English, though not as good as Monti. If anyone can dig up the PD videos, much appreciated.

http://www.lospaziodellapolitica.com/2012/11/candidato-do-you-speak-english/

Berlusconi is decent in English.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfAGken_8EQ

Monti fantastic but with an accent.

http://www.time.com/time/video/player/0,32068,1441566061001_2106444,00.html

[Antonio the Sixth]

So I did some Googling about the leaders' foreign language skills. Bersani apparently speaks decent French but might need a script. Monti is excellent in French and English. Renzi speaks pretty good English, though not as good as Monti. If anyone can dig up the PD videos, much appreciated.

http://www.lospaziodellapolitica.com/2012/11/candidato-do-you-speak-english/

Berlusconi is decent in English.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfAGken_8EQ

Monti fantastic but with an accent.

http://www.time.com/time/video/player/0,32068,1441566061001_2106444,00.html

I love accents in general! And the Italian accent in English is especially awesome IMO.

[Keystone Phil]

Did it really have to be pointed out that these people speak with an accent?

I assume they all have skills in Spanish. Anyone know German?

[Zanas]

Berlusconi is decent in English.

Maybe the only thing he is decent in...

[RogueBeaver]

The electoral college will convene on the 18th. Quick reminder on the process: 2/3 on first 3 ballots, simple majority thereafter. PD/SEL can almost elect a candidate outright, so all they need is someone acceptable to Monti.

https://www.facebook.com/electionista/posts/447678031974039

Renzi sure isn't wasting any time, he made a speech to the Florentian trade union congress calling for labour market reform. 

http://www.loccidentale.it/node/120996

http://www.gazzettadelsud.it/news/english/41072/Renzi-says-gridlocked-Italy--wasting-time-.html

[Keystone Phil]

Still no word on a PdL-favored candidate?

[RogueBeaver]

No word on any candidates yet.

[Хahar 🤔]

I assume they all have skills in Spanish.

Can an untrained Italian-speaker understand Spanish?

[Iannis]

I assume they all have skills in Spanish.

Can an untrained Italian-speaker understand Spanish?

Very very little

[Franknburger]

Did it really have to be pointed out that these people speak with an accent?

I assume they all have skills in Spanish. Anyone know German?

I would not make knowledge of German a prime criteria for selecting a PM - German politicians nowadays tend to speak some English (often with accent, of course). Nevertheless, I would assume Monti also having some knowledge of German from his time in the EU Commission.

[mappix]

Today Monti's government made another embarrassing move in the Parliament by blocking the law for the payments to enterprises who are desperately waiting money from the State and local administrations they provide goods/services to. The govt. proposed to divide the payment: 20 bn. € now and 20 later (a solution that was not supported by Confindustria). M5S criticized the plan of giving money to the banks first (then the banks would have given it to enterprises), while EU commission raised doubts about the sustainability of the payment (which public opinion perceives as "bad EU wanting to make all Italian enterprises go out of business for not getting paid"). Yesterday it was discovered that this payment was balanced with an anticipated increase of regional taxes and the protest made the govt. withdraw this solution. Today in Parliament the govt. has withdrawn the decree law altogether to find new solutions next week, further exasperating the frustration of enterprises. The problem of local administations' debts towards enterprises is one of the issue the future govt. has to tackle as soon as possible given the amount of hostility and rage toward institutions and EU.

[Keystone Phil]

Mara Carfagna posted on Facebook that she'd personally like to see Emma Bonino as President.

I assume they all have skills in Spanish.

Can an untrained Italian-speaker understand Spanish?

In this case, the speakers are obviously trained in Italian though.  I'm not one of the people saying Italian and Spanish are essentially the same; I believe many Italians learn a second or third language and Spanish is usually one of those languages.

If you mean untrained in Spanish, I've been told that Italians can pick up on key phrases/words because of a similarity with Italian but, again, my point is that a lot of people seem to be trained in several languages and Spanish is usually one of them. At first, I thought you were saying someone who only knows a little Italian can't understand Spanish.

[Antonio the Sixth]

I assume they all have skills in Spanish.

Can an untrained Italian-speaker understand Spanish?

No way. I mean, I guess I could try a few words, but that would most likely result in an epic fail. I might be able to understand it, unless too tricky words are involved.

[RogueBeaver]

None of the parties have officially proposed a presidential candidate. PdL doesn't want Amato or d'Alema, they did float Berlusconi adviser Letta and Berlusconi himself. One possible compromise candidate is Marini.

http://www.gazzettadelsud.it/news/english/41159/Squabbling-parties-faced-with-election-of-president.html

[Antonio the Sixth]

None of the parties have officially proposed a presidential candidate. PdL doesn't want Amato or d'Alema, they did float Berlusconi adviser Letta and Berlusconi himself. One possible compromise candidate is Marini.

http://www.gazzettadelsud.it/news/english/41159/Squabbling-parties-faced-with-election-of-president.html

The less this is discussed, the best. Surprise effect will certainly benefit the PD.

[RogueBeaver]

Renzi: I'm ready to be a candidate, grand coalition or a new election.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/04/us-italy-vote-idUSBRE9330C020130404

[RogueBeaver]

Bersani is stuck on stupid: still wants to try a minority government after the wise men report.

http://www.gazzettadelsud.it/news/english/41287/Bersani-rebuffs-Renzi-s-call-for-quick-action.html

[Keystone Phil]

Renzi: I'm ready to be a candidate, grand coalition or a new election.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/04/us-italy-vote-idUSBRE9330C020130404

Ok, who would definitely challenge him?

[RogueBeaver]

We don't know because Bersani is clinging to the leadership like a lobster with lockjaw. I assume one of the two previously mentioned will challenge in a primary. Nor are Napolitano and Bersani happy about Renzi's latest salvo.

In other news, Ruby's back. Could bring some interesting headlines for PdL.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/apr/04/silvio-berlusconi-trial-ruby-warfare

http://www.gazzettadelsud.it/news/english/41287/Bersani-rebuffs-Renzi-s-call-for-quick-action.html

[RogueBeaver]

Hah: In a GE, Berlusconi might not even run himself against Renzi, perhaps Giorgia Meloni as the PdL PM candidate.

http://affaritaliani.libero.it/politica/retroscena-meloni-centrodestra040413.html?refresh_ce

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Weren't they planning at one point to make Alfano PM if they won the February election?

[RogueBeaver]

That was the plan, since Maroni had vetoed Berlusconi as the official PM candidate. Not that it matters since anyone else would be a puppet, which begs the question of why Maroni vetoed in the first place.

Berlusconi wants her because his internal polling shows Renzi handily beating both he and Alfano. Nor does he think Alfano has the ticker to take on Renzi. She's young, relatively popular, female, from a junior coalition partner, been critical of PdL before. When all's said and done, Il Cav is still ducking behind a woman half his age rather than go mano-a-mano with Renzi.

[Keystone Phil]

Meloni!

Ruby is back in the headlines for the trial but is denying having sex with Berlusconi.

[SPQR]

Still no word on a PdL-favored candidate?

Berlusconi,duh.