What's going on in Italy?

[2952-0-0]

Apparently some cabinet members are jumping from the sinking ship that is Berlusconi and it has some connection to the right wing parties being massacred in the regional elections. Does someone know what is really happening? Could the legislature, say, non-confidence Berlusconi and start another election? How does the whole system work?

[Middle-aged Europe]

Looong story...

After the losses in the regional elections one of Berlusoni´s minor coalition partners, the christian-democratic UDC, withdrew from the government, but promised to continue its support for Berlusconi in the parliament. Apparently, this was a move to force Berlusconi to change some of his policies.

It was now expected that Berlusconi formally resigns and then gets the assignment from President Ciampi to form a new government. Surprisingly, he didn´t resign and does not intend to form a new governing coalition.

What happens next: It is now expected that he will give a statement before the parliament tomorrow and calls for a vote of confidence on thursday. This is most likely a move to force the UDC back into his coalition. But in the case that he loses the vote of confidence on thursday there will be held early elections very soon. And according to the polls Berlusoni would lose this elections.

[2952-0-0]

Berlusconi is resigning and hoping to be reappointed...

ROME (Reuters) - President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi began talks with Italy's political leaders on Thursday to try to assemble a new government that Silvio Berlusconi, who resigned as prime minister on Wednesday, is again expected to lead.
 

Ciampi will hold formal consultations with all parliamentary parties until noon (0600 EDT) Friday, after which he will decide if Berlusconi has the necessary support to take back the reins.


Berlusconi is treating his resignation as a formality, a step required by the constitution if a prime minister wants to make a major reshuffle, but commentators say the fractious center-right will not easily agree on a new balance of power.


If Berlusconi fails to put his team back together, Ciampi would almost certainly be forced to call a snap general election, one year ahead of time.


The prime minister was forced to resign by two coalition partners, who have demanded a radical change of direction following a comprehensive defeat in regional elections earlier this month for center-right parties.


The rebel allies have promised to serve in any new administration, but it was not clear if Berlusconi had reached a deal on the formation of a new team.


"I have the new list of ministers in my head if not in my pocket," Berlusconi told reporters after announcing his resignation, playing down the difficulties he now faces in sharing out ministerial posts between the four main parties.


The center-left opposition has called for a snap election, saying Italy needs clear political leadership to tackle a long-running economic slowdown.


Berlusconi and his allies want to avoid an immediate general election, which opinion polls indicate they would lose.


A minister from Berlusconi's Forza Italia (Go Italy) party said the reshuffle would involve relatively low-level posts -- health, industry and transport.


There is no talk of removing Economy Minister Domenico Siniscalco or Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini.


But a major bone of contention will be the standing of the Northern League party in a future cabinet.


The League's main focus in government is to push through a bill to hand more powers to the regions, which is viewed with suspicion by two other cabinet parties -- the Union of Christian Democrats (UDC) and National Alliance (AN).


The UDC and AN, which forced Berlusconi into resigning, believe Berlusconi has given the League too much space in his government and want to see it cut down to size.

[Beet]

It would be a pity if there were no elections in Italy while there were elections in Canada. This just shows right-wingers are generally more determined and machinistic.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

It would be a pity if there were no elections in Italy while there were elections in Canada. This just shows right-wingers are generally more determined and machinistic.

  Not at all.  The tradition in Italy since WWII has not been to call elections but to reshuffle the government.  The fact that Berlusconni has not yet had to call elections is not at all unusual.  The fact that it took over four years before he had to form a new government is what has been unusal for Italian politics.

[Beet]

It would be a pity if there were no elections in Italy while there were elections in Canada. This just shows right-wingers are generally more determined and machinistic.

  Not at all.  The tradition in Italy since WWII has not been to call elections but to reshuffle the government.  The fact that Berlusconni has not yet had to call elections is not at all unusual.  The fact that it took over four years before he had to form a new government is what has been unusal for Italian politics.

Then why has he been the longest-serving or 2nd longest-serving prime minister?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Well for one thing,  the Christian Democrats were more like a loose collection of factions that was only nominally a party.  Despite all the governments, Italy has had only 14 general elections since WWII, while Britain is currently having its 17th general election since VE-Day.

[Beet]

Well for one thing,  the Christian Democrats were more like a loose collection of factions that was only nominally a party.  Despite all the governments, Italy has had only 14 general elections since WWII, while Britain is currently having its 17th general election since VE-Day.

Ok, that is interesting.

[minionofmidas]

Because most of these cabinet reshuffles led to changes of prime minister...although almost all of them were of the old DC.

Of course, things have changed a bit in Italy in the 1990s...and otherwise Berlusconi wouldn't be where he is now. Election Law has changed, for example. It used to be pretty straightforward proportional. More importantly, the whole political culture, the whole political climate has changed, and not necessarily for the better.