Italian politics has evolved into permanent campaigning in which otherwise non-existent media events are created daily. Prodi is systematically heckled by organized claque wherever he goes- and it gets prominent media play. When the opposition leader got heckled in Genova ten days ago, his private TV's did not show the images. The parliament has become a shameless circus with outrageous and infantile actions by the opposition.

Beyond this propaganda onslaught by an opposition that has a monopoly of national private television and a stranglehold on state television, the Prodi government has stepped back on many points in its program and pressed forward on conservative issues thus disaffecting its leftist electorate.

A major problem of the electoral system that generates dozens of minor primadonna parties.

I really don't know what Der Spiegel is getting at. It makes no sense. There are major IS scandals concerning events under the Berlusconi tenure.

Meatloaf ingredient. Give names and coalition affiliation.

A poor misrepresentation of on-going negotiations over pensions and wage hikes.