Romano Prodi has recently announced his retiral from Italian politics. Today, I chanced upon a reference to his work at IRI from almost twenty-five years ago, in Musella, Luigi, Craxi, Roma: Salerno Editrice, 2007
“Prodi, president of IRI, asked for a meeting with Craxi. Prodi had the right, by law, to choose six of the sixteen […]
The fall of the Prodi government was disappointing, but entirely predictable. The aim of lasting for the entire legislative term (5 years) was unrealistic, with less than a 2% chance of success. Conversely, it was 95% certain that the government would fall sometime between September 2007 and May 2009; the most likely date was […]
As their American brethren celebrate considerable success in the mid-term elections, Italy’s ‘Democrats’ - who so far only exist in theory - are having considerable difficulty forming a single party of the centre-left. Repubblica has run two articles in the past two days on the prospects of the Partito Democratico. They outline the positions of […]
Good gossip from Prima Comunicazione on the recent choice of Claudio Cappon as RAI DG. Apparently, Romano Prodi didn’t want Cappon, but instead Antonello Perricone, MD of the editorial house that produces La Stampa. Prodi had counted on peeling off centre-right members of Rai’s Administrative Council, but his point-man, Angelo Rovati, messed up his counts. […]
Quick update on the health of the Prodi coalition:
The Camera has approved the executive’s mini-budget. It goes tomorrow to the Senate, where it will again be the subject of a vote of confidence
The government has already used votes of confidence on seven separate legislative items in three months (according to an interview with Gianfranco Fini); […]
Two sighs of relief for the Prodi government. First, the Senate approves the Italian mission to Afghanistan after the government made it a vote of confidence. Second, the Camera approves by the required two-thirds majority amnesties for certain crimes - and the minister who opposed it, Antonio Di Pietro, doesn’t resign.
Members of the centre-right had […]
Satisfaction with the Prodi government increases, according to this ISPO poll. The government now has net positive ratings: 43% evaluated the government positively (up 4 from late June), 31% negatively (down 10).
Ecco il governo Prodi: 9 Ds, 7 Dl Amato all’Interno, Difesa a Parisi - Politica - Repubblica.it
Very useful article outlines the shape of Prodi’s coalition. Here are some first thoughts:
First, it augurs well for the cabinet stability that all parties - including Rif. Communista, Udeur, and the Comunisti Italiani - are represented in the coalition. […]
Repubblica.it has rolling coverage of the fight to nominate the Presidents of the two Chambers. For the Chamber of Deputies, Fausto Bertinotti looks a shoe-in - but, having failed to get two-thirds of votes on the first round, voting must go to a second round, in which a bare majority suffices.
For the Senate, it’s a […]
