The prospect of a general election in Italy in April grew stronger yesterday after an attempt failed to form an interim government in order to first change the voting rules.Senate speaker Franco Marini had been asked last Wednesday, after Romano Prodi's centre-left government lost a confidence vote last month, to find cross-party support for an interim government to legislate a change in elections so they produce a more decisive outcome. Being ahead in opinion polls, Silvio Berlusconi and his opposition centre-right allies blocked talks, thus paving the way for the dissolution of parliament this week and a poll on the existing law on April 6 or 13. Berlusconi passed the law during his second term in 2005; it is credited with giving undue weight in parliament to small parties.Forming an interim administration now to change that system, as Marini had been requested by President Giorgio Napolitano, was "a useless waste of time," Berlusconi said yesterday.
The prospect of a general election in Italy in April grew stronger yesterday after an attempt failed to form an interim government in order to first change the voting rules.
Senate speaker Franco Marini had been asked last Wednesday, after Romano Prodi's centre-left government lost a confidence vote last month, to find cross-party support for an interim government to legislate a change in elections so they produce a more decisive outcome.
Being ahead in opinion polls, Silvio Berlusconi and his opposition centre-right allies blocked talks, thus paving the way for the dissolution of parliament this week and a poll on the existing law on April 6 or 13. Berlusconi passed the law during his second term in 2005; it is credited with giving undue weight in parliament to small parties.
Forming an interim administration now to change that system, as Marini had been requested by President Giorgio Napolitano, was "a useless waste of time," Berlusconi said yesterday.
Italy was bracing for a spring general election last night after prime minister-designate Franco Marini told the head of state that, in four days of consultations with political parties, he had been unable to obtain a consensus for a "technical government" to change the electoral law. Romano Prodi' s government fell last month, and Silvio Berlusconi, the leader of Forza Italia, the biggest party in the country, and his centre-right allies have been demanding immediate elections, heartened by a double-digit lead in the polls. Now it seems almost certain that they will get their way and that Italy will vote again in April or May. After meeting Mr Marini yesterday, Mr Berlusconi said: "We hope - and we think that's what will happen - that ... the head of state will call elections immediately, because the country quickly needs an efficient government."
Italy was bracing for a spring general election last night after prime minister-designate Franco Marini told the head of state that, in four days of consultations with political parties, he had been unable to obtain a consensus for a "technical government" to change the electoral law.
Romano Prodi' s government fell last month, and Silvio Berlusconi, the leader of Forza Italia, the biggest party in the country, and his centre-right allies have been demanding immediate elections, heartened by a double-digit lead in the polls. Now it seems almost certain that they will get their way and that Italy will vote again in April or May.
After meeting Mr Marini yesterday, Mr Berlusconi said: "We hope - and we think that's what will happen - that ... the head of state will call elections immediately, because the country quickly needs an efficient government."
Since he has been on war footing since he lost the last elections, I expect him to launch a blitzkreig campaign, no holds barred, a total media takeover.
FORMER Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, known as "the Great Seducer", is to lure women into his campaign for a spectacular political comeback by promising that at least a third of his ministers will be female. The former cruise ship crooner aims to torpedo efforts to set up an interim government after the collapse of Romano Prodi's left-wing coalition. Mr Berlusconi, 71, is so confident of forcing an election for mid-April that he is already working on his manifesto and planning the composition of his third administration. Opinion polls give the billionaire a lead of between 9 per cent and 15 per cent. "People go on about the need for a female minister for equal opportunities but what we need are many female ministers. My feeling is that half the ministers should be women," Paolo Bonaiuti, Mr Berlusconi's right-hand man, told The Sunday Times over the weekend.
FORMER Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, known as "the Great Seducer", is to lure women into his campaign for a spectacular political comeback by promising that at least a third of his ministers will be female.
The former cruise ship crooner aims to torpedo efforts to set up an interim government after the collapse of Romano Prodi's left-wing coalition.
Mr Berlusconi, 71, is so confident of forcing an election for mid-April that he is already working on his manifesto and planning the composition of his third administration.
Opinion polls give the billionaire a lead of between 9 per cent and 15 per cent.
"People go on about the need for a female minister for equal opportunities but what we need are many female ministers. My feeling is that half the ministers should be women," Paolo Bonaiuti, Mr Berlusconi's right-hand man, told The Sunday Times over the weekend.
