Final Nail in Coffin for Italian Prime Minister?
The party could be over for the powerful billionaire playboy. Photo: Ciupix
The continued political crisis in Italy has escalated once again after four coalition members resigned, in an attempt to remove Silvio Berlusconi from power. The resignation of Deputy Minister Adolfo Urso, Europe Minister Andrea Ronchi and undersecretaries Roberto Menia and Antonio Buonfiglio, leave the Prime Minister without a majority in the lower house of Parliament.
These four politicians are members of the Freedom and Future party, led by parliamentary speaker Gianfranco Fini. Fini left Berlusconi’s People of Freedom party to start the Freedom and Future party this summer, and has since worked alongside the Prime Minister as a coalition. However, Fini declared earlier this month that the 73 year old should stand down in a speech at his party’s first convention.
This came as a shock to the billionaire businessman, as Fini has continually suported him since his entry into Italian politics back in 1994.
Berlusconi, who just recently had to withstand a vote of confidence in September, will have to face another vote on his leadership on December 14th. This will crucially be after the Budget, which is due within the next fortnight. If the Prime Minister loses this vote, it would most certainly trigger early elections.
Reports in Italy also state that Mara Carfagna, a former model who was hand-picked by Berlusconi to be Minister for Equal Opportunities, is strongly considering walking out of government due to the irreconcilable differences within the coalition party.
Supporters of the Prime Minister believe he can withstand pressure from his former ally and retain power until his third term ends in 2013. This comes at a time when recent polls show that Berlusconi’s approval rating has fallen to its lowest ever level of 35%. The strength Berlusconi feels he has is in the lack of alternatives in the fragile Italian political system. His party still maintain a healthy majority in the Senate, and Fini’s opposition have been portrayed as a faction disturbing the business of government.
However the billionaire is no stranger to controversy, and this negative publicity has continually angered politicians and the electorate alike. Roberto Menia stated that it had ‘not helped [Italy’s] international credibility.’
“[Berlusconi] has been good at winning elections, and less good at governing”
Stefano Folli
Columnist
Berlusconi changed the name of his Forza Italia party to People of Freedom when it merged with the National Alliance in 2007, although the political slander has continued to dog the Italian and his party.
It has not been helped by his colourful private life, with his 19 year marriage to Veronica Lario ending in divorce earlier this year.
The most recent scandal involves the release of a 17 year old belly dancer from a police cell, allegedly after a phone call from the Prime Minister’s office though Police maintain they operated within the rules.
In addition to the scandal, the Italian economy is faltering. Fini stated in his most recent website video that “the moment is serious, and Silvio Berlusconi is responsible”.
It seems confidence in Italy will not recover until this prolonged political farce has been resolved once and for all.
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