Berlusconi no longer has the necessary resources, in terms of image and credibility, to turn the situation around, ... he is the glue that keeps the coalition together. |
Berlusconi today is a problem, but he is also the only possible solution for his coalition. |
Ciampi can't start the ball rolling yet; first there has to be a new parliament. The parties have to agree on a new president, and that new president then starts the process of appointing a new prime minister. There's no way of knowing how long all this will take. |
It's a nation split in two. There are people who stuck with Berlusconi, not that they like him so much, but they dislike the opposition. |
The big issue is how this country can be governed by such a slim majority. |
The mechanism that was introduced to insulate the governor from political interference is now protecting the governor in a case where he has lost completely credibility, |
The mechanism that was introduced to insulate the governor from political interference is now protecting the governor in a case where he has lost completely credibility. |
The mechanism that was introduced to insulate the governor from political interference is now protecting the governor in a case where he has lost completely credibility. |
There is no personality external to the coalition that they can turn to. There is no leader inside the coalition who can replace Berlusconi without starting relentless conflicts, |
This is another blow to a country that does not have many credible institutions, and that is why this is important. It is another sign of the Italian malaise that is spreading. |
Unless there's a sweeping victory by one side or the other, there's going to be a razor-thin majority in the Senate. And coalitions will be less united with this system than they were before. |