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Italian Elections
Berlusconi
IV
 Berlusconi
is the new Prime Minister of Italy. This is the outcome of the Italian election
held the 13th and 14th of April. Is the fourth time for the Italian tycoon and
the first time that no representatives of the communist and socialist parties
sit in the Parliament
By
MARCO RICIPUTI
from Ravenna, ITALY
The centre right Berlusconi's 'Popolo
della Libertà' (People of Freedom party) and the alley Lega Nord (North League)
gained the 47% at the Senate and the 46% at the Low Chamber. On the other side,
the centre left Veltroni's 'Partito Democratico' (Democratic Party) doesn't go
over the 38% and 37%. Something likes 10 points between the two political competitors.
A
shining victory of Berlusconi who - according to The Economist - is not able to
be a decent Prime Minister. Think the same the Financial Times, which wrote that
Berlusconi is a clown. How can the owner of the whole Italian communication system
(newspaper and television) be considered the right man for a modern European democracy,
stresses the economical newspaper. In any case the voters don't care of the famous
- and rhetorical exhausted - problem of the 'conflict of interest' that concentrate
in one person the political and media power. Immigration and security, low wages
and housing problem are the main and ground to ground fears of the people.
No
more left
'Rainbow left'. This is the name of the left coalition of
the communist and green parties. An experiment that lead straight to big defeat
of ever. For the first time after the Second World War no one of the left area
sit in the Italian Parliament. The left coalition lost more than one million of
votes and disappears from the national political landscape. Has been a sociological
earthquake as even the workers stop to support the left parties and move to the
Lega Nord party.
Together with Berlusconi's party 'Popolo della Libertà'
is the main winner. The party of the North, often accused of racism, rides the
anti-immigration feeling and the sense of insecurity of the people who live in
the rich regions of the North Italy. The promises of Berlusconi of cut down the
taxes and erase the tax on the first house and the popular taste of Lega Nord
catch the consensus of the electoral body that felt the centre left 'too chic'
and far from the daily issues.
The government: young, from the north
and slim
So, after only one month and half - a truly record for the
slow Italian politics - Berluscone formed the new government: 21 ministers, less
than the usual but always more than Spain and France. The average age is 50,4
years old, really low for the Italian standard that is famous for being ruled
always by old politicians. There are ministers in the 30s, 5 women and 11 come
from the North Italy.
Most of all, the new government is slim. The army
of 'vice ministers' is reduced, a consequence of the last months discussion about
the 'cost of the politics' that put under the lens the politicians, accused to
waste public money.
The last election before the 2008 pool was in the 2006
but it seems the 2 light years passed through. In 36 hours 6 parties - five part
of the previous Prodi'centre left government - disappear. The reform of the electoral
system gives to the people what they were looking for: a clear and strong majority
and the simplification of the Italian party system.
Despite the critics
of the internationals press Berlusconi is ready to rule for 5 years long and close
to fulfill another dream: be the president of the Republic after the end of his
4th government.
(Published: 10.05.2008.)
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