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14/06/2011 | Italy's referendums -Another blow for Berlusconi

The Economist Staff

IT WAS bad enough for the nuclear industry. But it was an overwhelming personal defeat for Italy's embattled prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi.

 

Earlier today balloting ended in a two-day referendum on nuclear power. According to provisional results, almost 95% of Italian voters have rejected a law passed by Mr Berlusconi's government that aimed to restart Italy's nuclear energy programme, stalled for more than 20 years.

But by suspiciously similar majorities, the same voters also rejected other, very different laws in three further referendums. Two of them dealt with water privatisation. A third concerned a law allowing Mr Berlusconi and other ministers to avoid court appearances by citing government business as a reason.

All the signs are that these were protest votes, not so much on the issues as against the prime minister and his government.

For the outcome of a referendum in Italy to be binding, turnout must be above 50%. Mr Berlusconi decided that, instead of fighting for his legislation on its merits, he would try to deter voters from participating. His disturbing influence over Italy's television was never clearer than in the campaign preceding the referendums, which was virtually ignored by the country's networks until a government attempt to block the vote failed in the courts a few days before polling. This proved to be a grievous miscalculation. Some 57% of the electorate cast their ballots, including 41% who did so on a sunny Sunday.

Mr Berlusconi's defeat today follows humiliating losses in local elections just two weeks ago. On May 29th and 30th he lost control of his home city of Milan, Italy's financial capital and a stronghold of the right since 1993.

In the wake of the Fukushima disaster, the government may have always been on a hiding to nothing. The Japanese catastrophe has already forced Angela Merkel's government in Germany into a u-turn on nuclear power. But Mr Berlusconi's government never even tried to make the case for nuclear in a country where everyone, from company presidents to private consumers, grumbles about the cost of electricity.

Two dates now loom large in Italy's political calendar. The first is June 19th. That is when the Northern League, Mr Berlusconi's partner in his conservative coalition, holds its annual rally at Pontida, north of Milan. Many of the party's rank-and-file are already exasperated with the prime minister and want to see their leader, Umberto Bossi, cut the link that has tied him to Mr Berlusconi for more than ten years. Now even some of the League's leaders are openly sharing their fear that the prime minister could drag their party into a political abyss.

"In the local elections two weeks ago we took the first hit”, said Roberto Calderoli, a cabinet minister and senior member of the Northern League. “Now, with the referendum, has come the second. I would not want taking hits to become a habit.”

At Pontida, Mr Bossi is expected to set out the League's conditions for remaining in the government. He will be waiting to see if his demands are met when the prime minister addresses parliament ahead of a confidence vote on June 22nd, the second important date this month.

That is where the consequences of today's surprise could begin to have repercussions beyond Italy. The League wants Mr Berlusconi to promise tax cuts as a way of buying the government out of its current plight.

But that could herald a renewed bout of fiscal laxity in Italy that, in turn, could have worrying effects on the stability of the euro.

The Economist (Reino Unido)

 



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27/03/2009|
22/03/2009|
22/03/2009|
27/01/2009|
27/01/2009|
27/01/2009|
17/01/2009|
17/01/2009|
17/01/2009|
17/01/2009|
17/01/2009|
17/01/2009|
11/01/2009|
06/12/2008|
06/12/2008|
06/12/2008|
06/12/2008|
23/11/2008|
23/11/2008|
16/11/2008|
16/11/2008|
04/11/2008|
04/11/2008|
03/11/2008|
03/11/2008|
24/10/2008|
24/10/2008|
24/10/2008|
24/10/2008|
15/09/2008|
15/09/2008|
15/09/2008|
15/09/2008|
15/09/2008|
15/09/2008|
06/09/2008|
06/09/2008|
05/09/2008|
05/09/2008|
05/09/2008|
05/09/2008|
01/09/2008|
01/09/2008|
01/09/2008|
01/09/2008|
22/08/2008|
22/08/2008|
17/08/2008|
17/08/2008|
16/08/2008|
16/08/2008|
28/07/2008|
28/07/2008|
28/07/2008|
28/07/2008|
28/07/2008|
28/07/2008|
19/07/2008|
19/07/2008|
24/05/2008|
24/05/2008|
03/05/2008|
03/05/2008|
29/04/2008|
11/02/2008|
05/01/2008|
09/12/2007|
18/11/2007|
10/11/2007|
10/11/2007|
06/11/2007|
06/11/2007|
06/09/2007|
26/08/2007|
25/08/2007|
11/07/2007|
16/06/2007|
16/06/2007|
10/06/2007|
10/06/2007|
19/05/2007|
19/05/2007|
19/05/2007|
19/05/2007|
24/04/2007|
24/04/2007|
14/04/2007|
14/04/2007|
05/04/2007|
05/04/2007|
05/04/2007|
28/02/2007|
28/02/2007|
05/02/2007|
05/02/2007|
04/02/2007|
04/02/2007|
04/02/2007|
04/02/2007|
04/02/2007|
04/02/2007|
29/01/2007|
29/01/2007|
29/01/2007|
29/01/2007|
11/01/2007|
11/01/2007|
11/01/2007|
11/01/2007|
27/12/2006|
27/12/2006|
27/12/2006|
27/12/2006|
27/12/2006|
27/12/2006|
20/12/2006|
20/12/2006|
17/11/2006|
30/09/2006|
28/07/2006|
12/04/2006|
12/04/2006|
12/04/2006|
06/03/2006|
21/02/2006|
17/02/2006|
31/01/2006|
10/01/2006|
28/12/2005|
31/10/2005|
26/09/2005|
29/08/2005|
11/08/2005|
08/08/2005|
24/06/2005|
24/06/2005|
24/06/2005|
03/04/2005|
03/04/2005|
03/04/2005|
03/04/2005|

ver + notas
 
Center for the Study of the Presidency
Freedom House