Italy Prime Minister Romano Prodi resigns

[flyarm]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/22/world/europe/22italy.html?th&emc=th

Italian Premier Resigns After Losing Foreign Policy Vote

By IAN FISHER
Published: February 22, 2007

snip:

Prime Minister Romano Prodi, in office just nine months, submitted his resignation Wednesday evening after his governing coalition lost a key vote on foreign policy in the Senate.

Two far-left members of his coalition abstained amid tensions over whether Italy should continue to provide troops to Afghanistan and Mr. Prodi’s support of an expansion of an American military base in Vicenza, in northern Italy.

snip:

There are many scenarios for what comes next — and one possibility, if not immediately likely, is a return to power of Silvio Berlusconi, whom Mr. Prodi defeated in elections last year.

As ministers met late into the night to discuss how to proceed, Mr. Berlusconi’s supporters rallied outside the seat of government, waving banners and demanding that the government step aside.



dang...............fly

[intaglio]

1. IIRC this "resignation" is a formality under the Italian Constitution

please correct me if I am wrong

[flyarm]

2. i sincerely don't know,???? eom

[mmonk]

3. Do they have any way to keep Berlusconi out?

[malaise]

4. Prodi is likely to return shortly

Berlusconi is unlikely to get enough votes.

[mmonk]

5. .

:thumbsup:

[mmonk]

6. What kind of government is likely to go forth?

[malaise]

7. Another coalition

which will be as unstable as this one -liberals, centre-left, communists, catholics. Only in Italy. By resigning when he did not have to, Prodi has shown integrity and strengthened his arm. However such a diverse group will find something else to spit about in the not too distant future.

I am curious about the impact of the CIA arrests and trials on the current crisis although I know Afghanistan and the US bases in Italy are a big part of the mess.