Prodi Resigns

After less than 9 months in office, Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi has resigned. Prodi lost a crucial (although informal) vote of confidence on Wednesday pertaining to the Italian troop presence in Afghanistan and the enlargement of the American base in Vicenza. The outcome of the Senate vote was 158 in favor, 136 against, 24 abstainments. Italian Foreign Minister, Massimo D'Alema, a member of Prodi's center-left coaltion suggested that the Prodi government resign if they stood to lose the confidence vote.

Italian president, Giorgio Napolitano (a former Communist), urged Prodi to put his government's foreign policy to the test and see if it still held majority support in the Italian senate. The result: Prodi has effectively lost his mandate to govern. 9 months ago in early May, upon his election, Prodi pledged that his government would "last five years".

The outcome of the Senate vote surprised even Berlusconi, who just a few days earlier predicted that the Left would find common ground and work out their differences. Upon hearing the resignation of Prodi, Berlusconi joyously suggested that "a Prodi encore" was not what the Italian public had in mind. (N.d.R.: sources now deny that Berlusconi made a public declaration about Prodi, and it's possible that the "Berlusconi declaration" is fabricated)

If the majority does not form a new coalition, Napolitano could call for new elections (or even reappoint Prodi); the Italian public expressed today that they are contrary to trudging out to the voting booths again. But the law rules, and from the looks of it, a new Italian election could be looming...

(above: a spot by Berlusconi's Forza Italia; top: a picture of Massimo D'Alema (Center-Left coalition) with the words, "Foreign Policy: Without a majority we'll go home.", bottom: Forza Italia, "...well? GO HOME!!!"