Rumors of the political death of Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi appear to be greatly exaggerated -- "Il Professore" is hanging on in office despite a razor-thin majority and a lack of vision. But are Italians tiring of their pampered political caste? DPA Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi, shown here in a May 2006 file photo, hangs on in power despite continually being written off. Gravity appears to function in a similar way in Italian politics as it does in animated cartoons. In a cartoon, when the hero runs off a cliff he keeps on going as if nothing has happened, only crashing to the ground when he notices the abyss below. Romano Prodi seems to have decided not to look down. Week after week, the newspapers declare the 67-year-old Italian prime minister to be finished politically -- deceived by his allies, duped by his own intelligence services and considered completely incompetent by his fellow business professors. Last week Prodi announced, once again, that he has the government's firm support. And to those in his coalition government who were urging him to take action, he said: "Here is the push forward you are demanding." Then he announced his plan to increase the pensions of some retirees by €50-70. These are the visions of Romano Prodi.
Rumors of the political death of Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi appear to be greatly exaggerated -- "Il Professore" is hanging on in office despite a razor-thin majority and a lack of vision. But are Italians tiring of their pampered political caste?
DPA
Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi, shown here in a May 2006 file photo, hangs on in power despite continually being written off. Gravity appears to function in a similar way in Italian politics as it does in animated cartoons. In a cartoon, when the hero runs off a cliff he keeps on going as if nothing has happened, only crashing to the ground when he notices the abyss below. Romano Prodi seems to have decided not to look down.
Week after week, the newspapers declare the 67-year-old Italian prime minister to be finished politically -- deceived by his allies, duped by his own intelligence services and considered completely incompetent by his fellow business professors.
Last week Prodi announced, once again, that he has the government's firm support. And to those in his coalition government who were urging him to take action, he said: "Here is the push forward you are demanding." Then he announced his plan to increase the pensions of some retirees by €50-70. These are the visions of Romano Prodi.
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.
The parliament has become a shameless circus with outrageous and infantile actions by the opposition.
This is a very good description of the Spanish parliament also. Our knowledge has surpassed our wisdom. --Charu Saxena.
Not that anyone has noticed but unemployment in Italy is down to the lowest since 1992 and is expected to go under the European average by next year.
And then, yes, as I said above, there's been an unprecedented surplus in the state's balance which the government is wondering how best to redistribute. Must be due to Prodi's total incompetence. Loan it to Merkel.
