Whoa! The Italian government has been a mess for quite awhile but today's events prove that the whole thing could come down in a big crash. This collapse has all the goodies: corruption, he said/she said, cabinet defections, etc. The final straw it appears is a big ally of Premier Prodi pulling his party out of the Premier's cabinet.
It's a bit detailed regarding all of the players, so go ahead and read the whole story here from Breibart but perhaps the light at the end of the tunnel here is that a new Premier will be elected and it'll be one that doesn't cave in to hostage demands from Afghanistan's Taliban.
It's a bit detailed regarding all of the players, so go ahead and read the whole story here from Breibart but perhaps the light at the end of the tunnel here is that a new Premier will be elected and it'll be one that doesn't cave in to hostage demands from Afghanistan's Taliban.
Italian Government in Risk of Collapsing
Jan 21 05:59 PM US/Eastern
By ARIEL DAVID
Associated Press Writer
ROME (AP) - A key ally of Premier Romano Prodi pulled his party from the Cabinet on Monday amid a corruption scandal, sending the center-left governing coalition scrambling to keep the administration from falling.
Prodi, who presided at strategy talks Monday night, planned to address Parliament about the crisis Tuesday. Taking a break from the talks, a senator in Prodi's coalition hinted to reporters that the premier could call for a confidence vote by lawmakers.
Prodi "will put the crisis in the hands of Parliament," said Sen. Roberto Manzione.
A vote of confidence would be a big gamble by Prodi to see if the threat of the government's collapse after 24 months in power could inspire his long-squabbling coalition partners to close ranks and back him. That appeared unlikely.
Prodi also could offer his resignation to President Giorgio Napolitano, who as head of state could dissolve Parliament and call new elections.
The government had been shaky for months, but the announcement Monday by the leader of a tiny Christian Democrat party that it was pulling out of the coalition appeared to be the push that could topple it.
Clemente Mastella, who resigned last week as justice minister after being put under investigation in a corruption probe, said he was pulling his UDEUR party out because he did not feel support from all the coalition members.
"We are leaving the coalition," Mastella said. "I will not negotiate, I will not discuss. It's over."
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