Israel told US it is modeling Gaza attack on Hiroshima and Nagasaki 22:35 Nov 05 0 comments UK Government manipulation of the BBC and social media over Covid 21:40 Sep 19 0 comments Good Riddance to Biden - Bye Bye Bidens 23:13 Apr 18 0 comments Exposed: Ireland’s Leading Far-right Politicians Unmasked… 20:58 Dec 07 0 comments The political power of Facebook 21:40 Oct 17 0 comments more >>Blog Feeds
Public InquiryInterested in maladministration. Estd. 2005RTEs Sarah McInerney ? Fianna Fail supporter? Anthony Joe Duffy is dishonest and untrustworthy Anthony Robert Watt complaint: Time for decision by SIPO Anthony RTE in breach of its own editorial principles Anthony Waiting for SIPO Anthony
Human Rights in IrelandIndymedia Ireland is a volunteer-run non-commercial open publishing website for local and international news, opinion & analysis, press releases and events. Its main objective is to enable the public to participate in reporting and analysis of the news and other important events and aspects of our daily lives and thereby give a voice to people.Julian Assange is finally free ! Tue Jun 25, 2024 21:11 | indy Stand With Palestine: Workplace Day of Action on Naksa Day Thu May 30, 2024 21:55 | indy It is Chemtrails Month and Time to Visit this Topic Thu May 30, 2024 00:01 | indy Hamburg 14.05. "Rote" Flora Reoccupied By Internationalists Wed May 15, 2024 15:49 | Internationalist left Eddie Hobbs Breaks the Silence Exposing the Hidden Agenda Behind the WHO Treaty Sat May 11, 2024 22:41 | indy
Lockdown Skeptics
News Round-Up Mon Jul 29, 2024 00:40 | Richard Eldred
Labour?s VAT Plan for Private Schools Flunks Revenue Test Sun Jul 28, 2024 19:00 | Richard Eldred
Far-Left Group Claim Responsibility for Paris Arson Attacks Sun Jul 28, 2024 17:00 | Richard Eldred
DESNZ Has Net Zero Competence Sun Jul 28, 2024 15:00 | David Turver
Hate Cleric Raises £3 Million to Create Islamic Homeland on Scottish Island Sun Jul 28, 2024 13:01 | Richard Eldred
Voltaire NetworkVoltaire, international editionNetanyahu soon to appear before the US Congress? It will be decisive for the suc... Thu Jul 04, 2024 04:44 | en Voltaire, International Newsletter N°93 Fri Jun 28, 2024 14:49 | en Will Israel succeed in attacking Lebanon and pushing the United States to nuke I... Fri Jun 28, 2024 14:40 | en Will Netanyahu launch tactical nuclear bombs (sic) against Hezbollah, with US su... Thu Jun 27, 2024 12:09 | en Will Israel provoke a cataclysm?, by Thierry Meyssan Tue Jun 25, 2024 06:59 | en |
Berlusconi Loses Big In Regional Elections
international |
politics / elections |
other press
Monday April 04, 2005 18:41 by eeekkk
loses 11 out 13 regions.
|
View Comments Titles Only
save preference
Comments (1 of 1)
Jump To Comment: 1Berlusconi Scorched by Regional Election Defeat
- Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi suffered a stinging defeat at Italian regional elections, early votecounts indicated on Monday, a huge boost for center-left leaderRomano Prodi who aims to unseat him next year.
Berlusconi's center-right coalition appeared to have lostat least nine of the 13 regions at stake, only sure ofmaintaining Lombardy and Veneto -- both in its stronghold innorthern Italy.
Prodi, who had said he would be satisfied by winning justone new seat, was delighted by what appeared to be a landslide.
"Today we have easily won in terms of the number of votesand the number of regions," he told a news conference. "Withthis vote Italians are asking us to prepare to govern to takethe country forward."
The center-left won up to six of the contested regionspreviously held by government parties, giving it control of13-15 of Italy's 20 regions.
Berlusconi had prepared his supporters for a poor result,saying he expected a mid-term backlash due to Italy's economicwoes. But the outcome looks far worse than expected.
The tycoon-turned-politician has said he is more interestedin the total number of votes cast rather than seats won orlost, a figure that will not be available until the count isfinished.
"At a regional level the center-left has prevailed, but thenational battle is still to be played out," said FabrizioCicchitto, a spokesman for Berlusconi's Forza Italia party.
The death of Pope John Paul on Saturday overshadowed theelection but did not keep voters away. Turnout reached 71.4percent, down just 1.7 percentage points from the last one.
"RESIGN!"
"Berlusconi should draw the right conclusions and notprolong the agony for another year," said opposition member ofparliament Antonio di Pietro in a call for the prime ministerto resign.
A defeat in regional elections in 2000 prompted the thenprime minister, the center-left's Massimo D'Alema, to resign --ultimately making way for Berlusconi's rise.
Berlusconi rejected that idea even before the polls opened,saying he was determined to see out his five-year mandate asthe longest-serving premier in post-war Italian history.
The center-right appeared to have lost three regions seenas crucial by parties and pundits: Piedmont in the north, Lazioin the center and Puglia in the south, exit polls said. Butearly official figures showed the results in Lazio and Pugliawere on a knife edge.
The center-right president of the Rome region Lazio,Francesco Storace said if he lost, Berlusconi was doomed.
"If we lose in Lazio the successor to Berlusconi can onlybe Prodi," he said ahead of the vote.
If Storace loses, he may contest the legality of the Lazioelection as he believes Alessandra Mussolini, the granddaughterof wartime dictator Benito Mussolini, forged the signaturesneeded to allow her to stand.
Mussolini, head of her own extreme-right party, may havehanded victory to the center-left in Lazio by drawing votesaway from Storace, a member of the National Alliance which overthe last decade has broken its historic links with fascism
A fourteenth region, Basilicata, which is held by thecenter-left, will vote on April 17-18.