ITALY: Romano Prodi asked to carry on as Italian prime minster but face a confidence vote in parliament

Romano Prodi returned to his prime ministerial office in Rome on Saturday (February 24) to a mixture of cheers and angry shouts of 'go home' following a decision by the Italian president to ask him to stay on as prime minister and face a confidence vote to test his majority in parliament. Prodi appeared at ease and smiled and waved at a small crowd of mainly journalists gathered outside his office, but he will have little time to celebrate as tries to salvage his coalition support. He resigned on Wednesday (February 21) after losing a foreign policy vote plunging the country into political uncertainty. He must now win a vote in both chambers of parliament to show that he has enough support to govern. The votes are likely to be held next week. "I will go to parliament as soon as possible, with the support of a cohesive coalition determined to help the country at this difficult stage and speed up the economic recovery under way," Prodi said at a news conference. Over the past two days, President Giorgio Napolitano had consulted all political leaders on how to resolve the crisis. Prodi's supporters asked that he be given a second chance while former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi called for fresh elections. Napolitano said, "We must express our concern and hope that the country can be governed in a credible and stable fashion." Opposition parties were disappointed with the president's decision to ask Prodi to stay. "We think this is a choice which will continue the decline of our country," said spokesman for the National Alliance opposition party Andrea Ronchi. "Prodi hasn't governed, he hasn't known how to govern, he doesn't have a majority vote on his foreign policy and therefore this government will not do any good for Italy," he added. Even some of Prodi's own supporters amongst the public appeared unconvinced his government would last long. "I think we are still in the midst of a crisis, I had hoped this government would resolve something but now I am very, very disillusioned," said Tiziana Tomassetti. While Prodi has a comfortable, built-in majority in the lower house, he only has a one-seat advantage in the Senate, making him vulnerable to defections in his fractious Catholics-to-communists coalition.

ITN Source | February 25, 2007

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