Guardian: Prodi wins senate confidence vote

[Eugene]

8.15pm update
Prodi wins senate confidence vote


John Hooper in Rome
Wednesday February 28, 2007
Guardian Unlimited

Romano Prodi tonight survived as Italy's prime minister, winning a vote of confidence
in the upper house of parliament by two votes.

Two senators elected for the right helped him to victory by siding with the government.
One was Marco Follini, a Christian Democrat and former deputy prime minister under
Silvio Berlusconi, who was booed by conservative senators when his vote was declared.
He had earlier told the chamber he wanted to "build a bridge" between the centre and
left.

An independent senator elected by Italians in South America, who kept his intentions
secret until the vote, also backed the centre-left government.

The vote put an end to seven days of frantic uncertainty that began when the
government failed to get a majority in the senate for its foreign policy, and
particularly its military presence in Afghanistan.

Sounding exhausted Mr Prodi made a final appeal for support, begging for time to give
the country "strong, decisive" policies.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/italy/story/0,,2023578,00.html

[Vidar]

1. I'm pleased. Prodi was off to a good start.

[On the Road]

2. Italians in South America

(mostly Argentina, I would guess) vote in Italian elections? Who knew?

[lebkuchen]

3. winning a vote of confidence by two votes

not very convincing.

Prodi is going to have to pay attention to what the people want, something the US congress isn't doing.

[LeftishBrit]

4. Good news!

Europaean parliaments tend to be very delicately balanced as to party control. It prevents the 'elected dictatorships' that we've had recently in the UK; but after the disastrous Berlusconi, it is a bit worrying whenever it looks as though the right might get back in Italy. Hope Prodi stays for a while!

[AX10]

5. At least this put's Burlisconi behind another step.

[w4rma]

6. Thank goodness. Very good. (nt)