October 02, 2013
ROME (AP) — The survival of Italy's government was in doubt Wednesday before expected confidence votes in Parliament forced by Silvio Berlusconi's decision to yank his party's support. But a divisive split among Berlusconi stalwarts in favor of stability might temporarily save the fragile ruling coalition.
Premier Enrico Letta made a last-ditch appeal to lawmakers to save his government after Berlusconi demanded his five Cabinet ministers quit and bring it down, incensed at a vote planned Friday that could strip him of his Senate seat following his tax fraud conviction and four-year prison sentence.
But in a remarkable challenge to Berlusconi's authority, several allies balked and said they would instead support Letta's hybrid right-left coalition. Italy's finances are in a critical state, pressing economic measures must be passed and Italy's president has insisted that a new electoral law be passed to avoid inconclusive results in any future vote.
It wasn't clear though if Berlusconi, a master politician who has outlived many premature political obituaries, would be able to woo them back and fall in line at the last minute. In a speech to the Senate on Wednesday, Letta hailed his 5-month-old government's successes and outlined his agenda to revive Italy's moribund economy and turn around its record unemployment. He warned lawmakers that Italy "runs a risk, a fatal risk" depending on the choices they make.
"Give us your confidence to realize these objectives. Give us your confidence for all that has been accomplished," Letta said to applause. "A confidence vote that isn't against anyone, but a confidence vote for Italy and Italians."
The key vote would be in the Senate, where Berlusconi's allies have a narrow majority. Entering the Senate, Berlusconi appeared less combative than he has in recent days: "We'll see what happens," Italian news agencies quoted him as saying. "We'll listen to Letta's speech and then decide."
Berlusconi's People of Freedom party has been badly divided ever since Italy's high court upheld his tax fraud conviction and sentence in August. But it has been thrown into chaos after several lawmakers and his closest ally and political heir Angelino Alfano openly defied him and said they would support Letta.
Alfano has served as Letta's deputy in the hybrid government and clearly thinks it has accomplished a good deal of the Berlusconi party agenda. A law passed in 2012 says anyone receiving sentences longer than two years cannot hold public office for six years. Berlusconi has challenged the law's constitutionality and has accused judges who handed down the sentence of trying to eliminate him from Italy's political life.
Letta addressed his claims straight on in his speech to the Senate, saying Italy is a country based on the rule of law. "In a democratic state, sentences are respected and applied, always with the right to the defense without treatment in favor or against individuals, whether they be citizens or senators," he said.
The unusual defiance of Berlusconi by his stalwart allies could signal that the three-time former premier's influence is seriously eroding after two decades leading Italy's center-right and being the main point of reference in Italy's political scene.
And the 77-year-old billionaire media mogul has reacted by making seemingly erratic and counterproductive demands that some Italian commentators have likened to the desperate, fitful sparks of a candle going out.
But Berlusconi has endured numerous political setbacks in the past, only to re-emerge strong. "Berlusconi has nine lives and we can't exclude a tenth," leading daily Corriere della Sera wrote on its front page Wednesday. "He knows the art of seducing senators and still has enough wiggle room for a turnabout at the last minute."
ROME (AP) — The survival of Italy's government was in doubt Wednesday before expected confidence votes in Parliament forced by Silvio Berlusconi's decision to yank his party's support. But a divisive split among Berlusconi stalwarts in favor of stability might temporarily save the fragile ruling coalition.
Premier Enrico Letta made a last-ditch appeal to lawmakers to save his government after Berlusconi demanded his five Cabinet ministers quit and bring it down, incensed at a vote planned Friday that could strip him of his Senate seat following his tax fraud conviction and four-year prison sentence.
But in a remarkable challenge to Berlusconi's authority, several allies balked and said they would instead support Letta's hybrid right-left coalition. Italy's finances are in a critical state, pressing economic measures must be passed and Italy's president has insisted that a new electoral law be passed to avoid inconclusive results in any future vote.
It wasn't clear though if Berlusconi, a master politician who has outlived many premature political obituaries, would be able to woo them back and fall in line at the last minute. In a speech to the Senate on Wednesday, Letta hailed his 5-month-old government's successes and outlined his agenda to revive Italy's moribund economy and turn around its record unemployment. He warned lawmakers that Italy "runs a risk, a fatal risk" depending on the choices they make.
"Give us your confidence to realize these objectives. Give us your confidence for all that has been accomplished," Letta said to applause. "A confidence vote that isn't against anyone, but a confidence vote for Italy and Italians."
The key vote would be in the Senate, where Berlusconi's allies have a narrow majority. Entering the Senate, Berlusconi appeared less combative than he has in recent days: "We'll see what happens," Italian news agencies quoted him as saying. "We'll listen to Letta's speech and then decide."
Berlusconi's People of Freedom party has been badly divided ever since Italy's high court upheld his tax fraud conviction and sentence in August. But it has been thrown into chaos after several lawmakers and his closest ally and political heir Angelino Alfano openly defied him and said they would support Letta.
Alfano has served as Letta's deputy in the hybrid government and clearly thinks it has accomplished a good deal of the Berlusconi party agenda. A law passed in 2012 says anyone receiving sentences longer than two years cannot hold public office for six years. Berlusconi has challenged the law's constitutionality and has accused judges who handed down the sentence of trying to eliminate him from Italy's political life.
Letta addressed his claims straight on in his speech to the Senate, saying Italy is a country based on the rule of law. "In a democratic state, sentences are respected and applied, always with the right to the defense without treatment in favor or against individuals, whether they be citizens or senators," he said.
The unusual defiance of Berlusconi by his stalwart allies could signal that the three-time former premier's influence is seriously eroding after two decades leading Italy's center-right and being the main point of reference in Italy's political scene.
And the 77-year-old billionaire media mogul has reacted by making seemingly erratic and counterproductive demands that some Italian commentators have likened to the desperate, fitful sparks of a candle going out.
But Berlusconi has endured numerous political setbacks in the past, only to re-emerge strong. "Berlusconi has nine lives and we can't exclude a tenth," leading daily Corriere della Sera wrote on its front page Wednesday. "He knows the art of seducing senators and still has enough wiggle room for a turnabout at the last minute."
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