Italy 2013: The official thread

[Leftbehind]

Have they f**king voted him out yet or what?

[Senator Cris]

Democratic Party out of the Sicily regional government of Rosario Crocetta.

[RogueBeaver]

More stupid Berlusconi brinksmanship.

[Senator Cris]

PDL's parliamentarians have announced their resignation from parliament in case of forfeiture of Berlusconi.

Link (in Italian) --> http://www.corriere.it/politica/13_settembre_25/decadenza-berlusconi-pdl-ipotesi-dimissioni-di-massa_22e5195e-25f8-11e3-baac-128ffcce9856.shtml

[RogueBeaver]

So the government collapses and Berlusconi forces another election. PD will still be without a permanent leader.

[Keystone Phil]

Chances the government actually collapses in the next few weeks?

[RogueBeaver]

That all depends on how serious PDL is. Unless the Senate committee lets themselves get blackmailed, they'll expel Berlusconi. If they are serious then an election by default, and the PD will need to get a permanent leader immediately.

[Senator Cris]

+++ PDL's ministers resign from the government +++

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

Holy  Italy. You're crazy, but not boring.

[RogueBeaver]

Election time?

[Keystone Phil]

[Senator Cris]

Election? Extern support from PdL/FI? New government with Pd, Civic Choice, Union of Center, Left Ecology and Freedom and ex- M5S and ex-Pdl?

[Leftbehind]

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Wait, what?

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Oh dear...

[jaichind]

Latest SWG poll from 9/25

                                                   Latest poll             Feb 2013 elections
Center-Left                                  33.8%                              29.5%
Center                                           5.9%                              10.6%
Center-Right                                36.3%                              29.2%
5 Stars Movement (Grillo)            18.8%                              25.5%
Communist Refounding (Ferrero)   1.4%                               2.3%

Berlusconi still ahead.

[DC Al Fine]

Latest SWG poll from 9/25

                                                   Latest poll             Feb 2013 elections
Center-Left                                  33.8%                              29.5%
Center                                           5.9%                              10.6%
Center-Right                                36.3%                              29.2%
5 Stars Movement (Grillo)            18.8%                              25.5%
Communist Refounding (Ferrero)   1.4%                               2.3%

Berlusconi still ahead.

While this is depressing for Italians, it's hilarious for everyone else.

[Keystone Phil]

What's the deal with the Senate though? Is the center-left still favored to hold it?

[Beezer]

What a mess of a country.

[Leftbehind]

Much of PdL's gains since the election have come directly from Monti's list, at least.

[RogueBeaver]

Berlusconi said in his statement that he's open to backing agreed-upon government measures.

[Keystone Phil]

Much of PdL's gains since the election have come directly from Monti's list, at least.

It's a joke that he's still even around. He's really going to put himself through the wringer again?

[jaichind]

Lets be clear.  Berlusconi had sprung a cleverly prepared trap, exactly like how I thought this entire thing might unfold.   He fought on the topic of the scheduled increase in sales tax from October 1, which ironically enough is the same day of the USA government shutdown. Of course this entire crisis is about Berlusconi personal legal problems but if it comes to elections Berlusconi can fight on the anti-tax platform and sticking it to Brussels since that is where the pressure came to increase the VAT tax.  If there are no elections then that means that Grillo came around to support the Letta government which really just means that this arrangement will not last that long as the Grillo movement might start to melt down.   And in that case a somewhat later next election the Grillo and also the Center Left will just implode leaving the Center-Right, with Berlusconi as either de jure or de facto leader coming to power.

[jaichind]

For some reason Grillo also wants new polls even though polls shows his bloc's support is down from Feb 2013.  Perhaps he feels that going on like this means his support will fall further and a re-shuffle of the political deck might put him in better position.

[jaichind]

Letta to ask for vote of Confidence on Oct 2nd. 

[Hash]

For a guy from the PD, Letta seems to actually have a spine.