Early Italian election draws closer

By Giulia Segreti in Rimini

Published: August 22 2010

A call for an early election in Italy drew closer as Gianfranco Fini, speaker of the lower house and former ally of Silvio Berlusconi, prime minister, gave only conditional support to a legislative agenda that will form the basis of a vote of confidence in the government.

Mr Fini and his break away faction said it agreed with 95 per cent of the document approved by Mr Berlusconi and his senior party officials on Friday, but declared negotiation was needed over some legislation, particularly judicial matters.

“[Mr Berlusconi’s] logic belongs to local food markets, not to politics,” said Mr Fini, welcoming debate in parliament between the different centre-right political groups.

Since Friday, the prime minister has repeatedly said that he is not prepared to negotiate.

“Even if cohesion among the majority is lacking in only one of the points [of the agenda], we will not allow [anyone] to wear us out and will refuse to negotiate,” said Mr Berlusconi.

The decisive vote is expected on September 6, when a draft for the reform of trials will be presented in the justice commission of the lower chamber. The law would limit the length of trials to a total of six-and-a-half years, after which the proceedings would be annulled.

The law, which would eliminate three ongoing corruption proceedings against Mr Berlusconi, was passed by the Senate in January.

In the lower house, the ruling coalition will not reach its needed majority threshold of 320 MPs without the vote of Mr Fini’s supporters. Mr Fini has said in the past that he does not support the law.

Although he is trying to avoid a final rupture and early elections, Mr Berlusconi has already started meeting some MPs to discuss electoral campaigning with several local associations. He is also looking at widening his party’s majority, appealing to the centrist and mixed groups within parliament, and the Central Union, led by Peir Ferdinando Casini.

According to political polls, the premier’s People of Liberty would gain the support of 36 to 38 per cent of the population.

“[The country] cannot go to early elections in the next six months as everything would be up in the air and there would be a risk of speculators and investors fleeing,” said Raffaele Bonanni, leader of Cisl, Italy’s second-largest national union.

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010.

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