Italy decides: Berlusconi or Prodi « More shameless remarks by Larko

Italy decides: Berlusconi or Prodi

Sunday, April 9, 2006 at 23:36 | In Election, Politics | 1 Comment
Tags: Berlusconi, Italy, Prodi

BBC reports that opinion polls released ten days ago predict a close call in the Italian election today and tomorrow. Bookies seem to disagree as Terrorpilot blog reports. The blog quotes two agencies offering bets as high as 4,3 and 3,8 for a Berlusconi victory, thus making Romano Prodi a clear favorite for the prime minister post.

Silvio Berlusconi is the prime minister since 2001. He is leading a rightwing coalition topped by his own party Forza Italia. The government is being challenged by the leftist coalition Union lead by Romano Prodi. He is a former prime minister and former president of the EU comission. He beat Mr. Berlusconi in the 1996 election.

Francesco posted a circulating e-mail joke in his blog about Berlusconi wanting to confess. The prime minister gets referred along the clergical hierarchy all the way to the pope as nobody feels competent to hear a confession of such a complicated case. Even the pope does not find himself competent and refers Berlusconi to Jesus himself who counts up all of Berlusconi’s sins and concludes that he does not need to confess but be grateful instead. “You need to be grateful to Romans who crusified me because I would climb down and rip you in pieces if I were not nailed up here”, Jesus explains to a confused Berlusconi.

Albeit a joke, there is an element of truth in that statement. Mr. Berlusconi has a long history of legal problems involving indictments of corruption, bribery, false accounting and tax evasion, all relating to his various business interests. Silvio Berlusconi is a media tygoon and the president of AC Milan football club. Opponents say he has a problem recognizing the difference between his personal interests and those of the government.

The Italian government has supported the US-led war in Iraq. The approach is not very popular among the Italians which is why the governing coalition has pledged to withdraw the Italian troops by the end of this year. Mr. Prodi has promised to do the same as soon as possible which may be no sooner than the government’s pledge.

Once so strong Italian economy has practically stagnated since Mr Berlusconi took the office. The average annual groth during the last five years is just 0,8%. Berlusconi has promised to cut taxes to boost the economy while Prodi has made a pledge to cut labour costs and to trim the budget deficit.

Both front running candidates have used harsh language against each other in the campaign trail, in Berlusconi’s case even vulgar language. The heavy campaigning by both sides has now ended and the polls are open till 1300 GMT tomorrow. The initial result should be known by tomorrow evening.

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[...] The Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi is expected to resign on Tuesday, the BBC reports. Berlusconi has so far refused to admit his defeat in the closely contested election a few weeks ago. Italy's highest court confirmed the victory of the center leftist coalition led by Romano Prodi in both houses of the parliament. [...]

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