From The International Herald Tribune: Resignations threaten Italy’s fragile government BY ELISABETTA POVOLEDO ROME — Italy faced growing political uncertainty Sunday after five ministers in Silvio Berlusconi’s center-right party resigned, opening a government crisis that could shake the current political stability in Europe. The resignations did not immediately topple the government, but could lead to either a confidence vote in Parliament as early as this week or could force President Giorgio Napolitano to try to piece together a new coalition. Early elections could also be possible, although Mr. Napolitano has said repeatedly that he does not favor that option amid a prolonged economic recession, with economic and electoral overhauls pending in Parliament. Prime Minister Enrico Letta was expected to meet with Mr. Napolitano on Sunday evening to discuss how to move forward. Mr. Berlusconi on Saturday called on the ministers to step down, ostensibly in protest against the government’s failure to take measures to block a one percentage point increase in the value-added tax that will go into effect on Tuesday. Continuing to support a government that raises taxes, he said, would be a betrayal to those who voted for him. But critics — including Mr. Letta, who issued a harsh statement Saturday evening calling Mr. Berlusconi’s gesture ‘‘mad and irresponsible’’ — say the decision to pull the plug on the government is a ploy to somehow put off Mr. Berlusconi’s impending ouster from the political scene. Mr. Letta’s five-month-old government, a broad coalition of electorally antagonistic parties, has felt the strains of its political differences since its inception in April. But tensions grew to an unsustainable point this summer after the definitive conviction last month of Mr. Berlusconi, a former prime minister, on charges of tax fraud. Mr. Berlusconi is to begin serving a one-year sentence — most likely under house arrest — next month. Mr. Berlusconi, who is standing trial in other cases, has also been barred from holding public office, though the length of that penalty remains under discussion. On Friday, a Senate committee will meet to decide whether to expel him from his Senate seat. Mr. Berlusconi believes that he has been unjustly disqualified from the political arena by his adversaries and has pledged to remain very much involved. ‘‘I’m not tired of fighting,’’ Mr. Berlusconi said to supporters in Naples on Sunday. Speaking to a rally by telephone, he said he saw early elections as the only option out of the crisis. But Mr. Napolitano has said repeatedly that an early vote is the least advantageous option as Italy continues to reel under the impact of a two-year recession. Polls suggest that a return to the ballot would most likely result in another stalemate, with no party getting enough votes to form a stable government. Mr. Napolitano said Sunday that he would pursue other avenues before dissolving Parliament. ‘‘I will see what possibilities exist to continue with this legislature,’’ he told reporters in Naples. ‘‘It is the tradition of the president of the Republic to dissolve Parliament only when he’s not able to put together a government in the interests of the country.’’ Commentators said that Mr. Berlusconi’s decision to pull the plug on the government was against the interests of the country, throwing Parliament into chaos just days before the country is to present its budget plans for 2014. Last week, as tensions in Parliament grew, church leaders and industrialists had warned that Italy could ill afford a government crisis now. On Friday, the International Monetary Fund had warned that Italy’s economic outlook ‘‘remains weak, and the financial system is still vulnerable.’’ There are also grumblings within Mr. Berlusconi’s party, which was rebaptized this month as Forza Italia, the name of the first political movement that brought him to power 19 years ago, about the way the decision to call for the resignations was handled. Mr. Berlusconi is said to have made the decision during a meeting with a few trusted loyalists in his villa outside of Milan without consulting the majority of party leaders or the ministers. Deputy Prime Minister Angelino Alfano, the party’s secretary, was not present at the meeting. If the decision is taken, ‘‘without the secretary being present, then the party has been genetically modified,’’ said Constitutional Reforms Minister Gaetano Quagliarello, who resigned. Minister of Health Beatrice Lorenzin also said she would leave the party. Of many possibilities set to play out this week, Mr. Letta could see whether he can muster enough support in Parliament without the votes of Mr. Berlusconi’s party. He has a majority in the lower house but is 24 votes short in the Senate. Regardless of how the crisis plays out, Mr. Berlusconi, who turned 77 on Sunday, cannot change his immediate future, and he will begin serving his sentence on Oct. 15. Pierluigi Battista, a columnist for the Corriere della Sera, wrote on Sunday that the suspicion increases that ‘‘Berlusconi believes that his personal destiny must coincide with that of the center-right and of the entire country.’’ Mr. Berlusconi’s game, he wrote, is that after him, ‘‘there must be only the deluge.’’ ◼ Get the best global news and analysis direct to your device – download the IHT apps for free today! For iPad: itunes.apple/us/app/international-herald-tribune/id404757420?mt=8 For iPhone: itunes.apple/us/app/international-herald-tribune/id404764212?mt=8
Posted on: Sun, 29 Sep 2013 22:54:06 +0000
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