After the fall, can Italy's govt bounce back?

By Jeanette Pollara

ROME, Feb. 26 - After a surprise collapse of the Romano Prodi government last week, Italians anxiously await a crucial vote in the coming days to see if the prime minister can stage a comeback and return to power. But the question remains: if Prodi wins a vote of confidence on Wednesday, as expected, will his center-left government be strong enough to last a full term in power?

 

“My prediction is, for now, the coalition is going to be very compact and united as they  give Prodi a chance to stick it out for a while,” said Franco Pavoncello, the president of John Cabot University and a political analyst. 

Prodi’s victory in April against media-mogul-turned-premiere Silvio Berlusconi was a shaky one. His government held onto a slim 2-vote majority in the Senate, and fell on a vote last week to fund troops in Afghanistan.

Prodi's fall opened up briefly the possibility of Berlusconi and his center-right coalition once again vying for a return to power.  But Prodi managed to win over a senator from Berlusconi's camp, padding his thin lead in the Senate, and setting the stage for a crucial vote that now appears will give Prodi a second life.

But how strong will the government be? Prodi’s political agenda -- a vast  12–point plan put together in the beginning of his term to unify his supporters -- will be examined more carefully. One casualty, for now, is a controversial bill concerning civil unions, better referred to as the PACS plan, that drew strong opposition from the Vatican.

The military position on the war in Afghanistan will also be dealt with in the near future, but not until the government regains some sense of stability and reassurance from political supporters.

“What remains to be seen is what happens in the long run, being three to four months from now,” said Pavoncello.

Although the answers of policy decision still remain questionable, the future appears a bit more optimistic for the Prodi supporters. 

Comments

[MSS]

I would not go so far as to predict a full term. It is an Italian government, after all. But there is little doubt Prodi really won as a result of his "defeat."