A Slap across the wrist for Berlusconi

international | politics / elections | news report Monday June 14, 2004 21:47 by hs - sp (pc)

Italian election results

Not a major defeat for the centre right, but a good vote for communists and greens.

A Slap across the wrist for Berlusconi


The Party of Silvio Berlusconi took a beating in yesterdays european and provincial elections going from 25.2% in the euro elections 1999 to about 22% yesterday. But if compared to it's vote in the last national election it fell by more than 5% a disaster for any party. But as this is Italian politics things aren't quite so straightforward. Berlusconi's government is a four party coalition. It's main partner the ex fascist National Alliance more or less held onto their 12% and the northern nationalist/seperatist Nothern League made a comeback winning 4.4%. (Probably a sympathy due to the recent hospitalisation of it's leader Bossi). While the UDC the revived christain democrat formation won 6%. In Sicily it won as much as 14% of the vote. In all the "house of liberty" coalition took about 44% of the vote. Definitely a drop but nothing like the defeats suffered by other european governments. And after an unpopular war and a number of general strikes the leaders of the coalition will be breathing easy. Obviously Berlusconi's control of private and public media has had an effect and probably the release of the three italian hostages last week played in his favour.

In the provincial elections they fared worse losing Bari, Sardinia and Bologna to the centre left.

On the centre left the new coalition led by the ex communist Democrats of the Left, Uniti per il Ulivo, took 31% This though was below their 33% target and although they are trying to claim they are now the biggest party it is a coalition rather than a party. And it is still a drop from the 32% they took in the last euro election. On the left outside the coalition the Greens did well taking 2.7% as did the Party of Italian Communists who tool 2.3%. And the rifondazione communista made the biggest leap taking 5.7%. Between them making up 10% of the vote.

Rifondzione in the spotlight.

For the next general election the PRC will be in the spotlight because after yesterday it's clear a centre left coalition could win if it includes them. Especially now with their increased vote. (Although the italian communists and the greens stood seperatly from the centre left in this election they will be expected to join for the national elections.)

It puts the party in a difficult position. On the one hand if they don't take part and Berluconi retains power they will have to face a very angry italian working class. On the other hand if they (again) support a government which continues to attack workers rights, pensions and social services they will face serious trouble from their own rank and file and it could even question their reason to exist. After their last entry when the party had little option but to stop supporting the government it led to a substancial split and the return of Berlusconi.