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Italy: Prodi Quits
Italian PM resigns following vote on US base, Afghanistan
Romano Prodi, Italian Prime Minister and former lead contact for the KGB in Europe president of the European Commission, has tendered his resignation following a defeat in parliament.
He has served only ten months in office since defeating centre-right PM Silvio Berlusconi in a knife-edge election last year.
Prodi's resignation came after a motion to expand a US military base in Vicenza and extend the stay of Italian troops in Afghanistan was defeated.
The left-wing coalition Prodi has led looked shakier than Britney Spears after a night on the tiles since the outset. In order to assemble a narrow majority in Italy's senate, Prodi has had to rope in all shades of leftist opinion, from liberal Christians to hard-left unreformed Communists. His programme, which was designed to make timid steps towards economic liberalisation while re-aligning Italy with Europe's mainstream Social Democratic movement, was threatened at every step by quarrelling coalition partners. Such is the way of Italian politics. However, up to last night, it seemed that the left preferred to grudgingly follow Prodi's lead, as long as it meant keeping their despised opponent Berlusconi from power.
The consensus finally crumbled during last night's debate. Thousands of citizens of the northern city of Vicenza, egged on by leftist militants, marched against the extension of the US's 173rd Airborne Brigade base there. Prodi, who pulled Italian troops out of Iraq but is keen to avoid committing Italy to Europe's Axis of Anti-Americanism à la Jacques Chirac, gave his approval for the base's expansion.
However, with 26 Americans, mostly CIA Counter-Terrorist Operatives, indicted by an Italian court last week in connection with the smuggling of a radical preacher from Italy to Egypt, the gulf between Italy and the US seems to be widening. Also this month, an Italian court ordered that US soldier Mario Lozano should face trial for the killing of Italian intelligence operative Nicola Calipari in Iraq in 2005. Calipari was mistakenly shot when escorting Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena to the airport after freeing her from her Iraqi kidnappers.
The far left has not been slow to exploit these events. Many in Prodi's coalition oppose the presence of 2000 Italian troops in Afghanistan and tied the air base, the CIA "kidnap", Calipari's death and the presence in Afghanistan together, making life extremely difficult for the hapless Prodi.
136 members of the right in the senate, sensing that Prodi's coalition was crumbling, voted against the proposals (even though, under Silvio Berlusconi, Italy's centre-right was a vociferously pro-US and a dedicated ally in the war on terror and the invasion of Iraq). There were 158 votes in favour (160 were needed for approval).
Prior to yesterday's vote, Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema (a former Communist) had claimed that the government should resign if the vote failed. Prodi, by some accounts, was furious with D'Alema for this pledge, but felt obliged to tender his resignation.
However, it might not be over yet for Prodi. President Giorgio Napolitano (yet another former Communist) is holding talks today with Prodi on how to handle the crisis.
While the centre right holds a fifteen point lead in opinion polls, an election does not look likely. He may stay on as leader of a weakened coalition, though his authority would be shaken. Italy's Christian Democrats - centre-right, but suspicious of the rest of the right - may be partners in a broader coalition. Prodi is sure to be keen to rid himself of his coalition "partners" on the far left, who are unlikely to commit to a course of moderate reforms and engagement with the US.
There is also talk of a "government of technocrats" appointed to steer through the budget and pensions reform. As a former EU executive, Prodi is sure to be keen on this one.
EDITED for error: Italian troops in Afghanistan, not Italy. Apologies
