Monday, May 08, 2006

From a former communist to a former communist


Late Sunday night, Prodi's coalition nominated Giorgio Napolitano, 80, a life senator with the Democrats of the Left, former speaker of the lower house and once a top official of the Italian Communist Party, as their candidate for President.

In its heyday 30 years ago, the Italian Communist Party held sway among a third of the country's voters. The party no longer exists, but its legacy lingers on, influencing the fight for the Italian presidency and the staying power of Romano Prodi.

The communists are in a position to exert considerable pressure on the political agenda of the center-left coalition. In 1998, Bertinotti brought down Prodi's first government after a tough budget was introduced to help Italy qualify for the euro. Bertinotti asserted that the budget would sabotage social programs.Exacerbating the debate now has been the election with the Refounded Communists of two controversial figures: Francesco Caruso, a leader of Italy's anti-globalization movement, and Vladimir Luxuria, a transgender gay-rights activist - whose stands in such areas as labor reform and same- sex marriage are not shared by the more moderate elements of Prodi's coalition, which includes Catholic parties.
read more International Herald Tribune

3 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

A new day, more bad news for Italy. We can only pray for her.

1:31 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Enzo, your posts are always very clear, I'm glad to know that foreign people can find in your blog the information they can't find anywhere... By the way, you simply tell the truth!
As concerns the president of the Republic, I can just add that before Napolitano, Mr. Prodi's coalition had thought to candidate Massimo D'Alema, a politician who in his youth used to throw Molotov bottles against policemen.
And what is more, Mr. Prodi has clearly said that if Napolitano doesn't pass at the first votation, Mr. D'Alema will be the new candidate.

1:48 PM  
Blogger Enzo said...

Dear Siro, it's always a pleasure to read your comments. Mr Prodi's coalition has been hijiacked by the communists, past and present ones, and his hands are now tied up. He will regret having Rifondazione Comunista (God Almighty, I feel sick when I write that "word") in his coalition.

3:31 PM  

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