Italian Parliament Dissolved
Italian President Giorgio Napolitano has dissolved that nation's parliament, requiring new elections within 70 days. The failure to reach an agreement on an interim government means that Silvio Berlusconi is very likely to be back as Prime Minister in short order.
ROME - Italy's president dissolved parliament on Wednesday, clearing the way for early elections just two years after the last parliamentary vote.
ADVERTISEMENTPresident Giorgio Napolitano made the decision after Premier Romano Prodi's center-left government fell late last month and subsequent efforts to form an interim government to change voting rules failed.
Prodi will continue as caretaker premier until the election, which must be held within 70 days of the dissolution of parliament.
Italy was plunged into political crisis after Prodi's government collapsed Jan. 24 after only 20 months in power.
The legislature was the second-shortest one in Italy's postwar history, according to Italian media.
Early elections represent a victory for Silvio Berlusconi, the conservative leader who has repeatedly demanded a return to the polls since the fall of Prodi's government.
Berlusconi has firmly rejected any possibility of an interim government. The 71-year-old former premier is hoping for a new stint in power as domestic opinion polls suggest his center-right coalition would win an early election.
The center-left coalition trails in opinion polls. Its leader and expected candidate for premier, Walter Veltroni, had hoped to delay a vote by supporting the possibility of an interim government.
Another right-leaning European government in office soon, it would appear. Interesting, isn't it? The flirtation with the left was very short indeed in Italy.
World news | Gaius Wednesday, 6 February , 2008
By Yuri, Wednesday, 6 February , 2008 @ 5:08 pm
wow, did you really just take down my post?!
that’s weak, man. Thought you could take a punch. Oh well.
By Gaius, Wednesday, 6 February , 2008 @ 5:20 pm
Ad hominem and a global attack on people of a religion you don’t agree with is breaking the comment rules, Yuri. Frankly, I generally try to ignore your comments anyway. This one crossed the line.
By Yuri, Wednesday, 6 February , 2008 @ 5:40 pm
Wasn’t attaching people of religion at all.
But then again your readers won’t be able to make their own judgment
anyhow, I assumed that I provided a different point of view on your blog, which I imagined made it more interesting for people. Unless you all just want to agree with each other…
By Gaius, Wednesday, 6 February , 2008 @ 5:48 pm
Yes you did Yuri. You know it. Knock it off or you’re going to get banned.