Government of "historic compromise"

Italy has finally decided on the first persons

After two months of political stagnation following parliamentary elections on February 24-25, Italy finally has a chance to form a new government.

The 88-year-old President of the Italian Republic, Giorgio Napolitano, who was unprecedentedly re-elected on April 20 for a second term (at the end of it, the “guarantor of national unity” will turn 95 years old), has identified a candidate for the post of prime minister. They became the 44-year-old representative of the nomenclature of the "Democratic Party" - Enrico Letta, who was nominated after the failure of the former secretary of the same party, Pier Luigi Bersani.

Young and comfortable

“Very young, according to Italian standards,” Letta Napolitano ironically noted the age, speaking on April 24 to reporters. But youth is far from the most important advantage of this enfant prodige of the Italian democrats, a specialist in international law, the father of three sons, in the past twice a minister (in 1998 he headed the Ministry of European Policy, and in 2000 - the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Crafts). ), MEP (in 2004-2006) and Deputy Prime Minister (in 2006-2008 in the government of Romano Prodi).

A native of Pisa, Enrico Letta is fine with Silvio Berlusconi and his People of Freedom party, and in a situation where Italy is likely to face a left-right-centrist coalition government (led by outgoing premier Mario Monti, who is likely to take office Minister of Foreign Affairs) is the main trump card. Ironically, the newly-minted candidate for Italian premier (he will take full powers only after a vote of confidence in the parliament, as provided for by the Italian Constitution), is the nephew of former Deputy Prime Minister and confidant of Silvio Berlusconi - Gianni Letta. This was noted by the leader of the Five Star Movement, Beppe Grillo. “All Letta is one family,” the former comedian wrote on his blog, recalling a July interview with a politician, where he said: “It’s better to vote for the People of Freedom than for Grillo.”

The secret deal

Now the Five Star Movement will be the parliamentary opposition and will vote against a vote of confidence in the Letta government, which will be formed in the coming days.

According to Grillo, the new government will be the result of a tacit deal between the centre-left and their seemingly sworn enemy for the past 20 years, Silvio Berlusconi. This is also the opinion of many within the “Democratic Party”, whose leadership, headed by Bersani, resigned in full force during the party conference on April 23: out of 197 present, 7 people voted against supporting the coalition government, and 14 abstained.

A split in the party, to which many now predict the future of the Greek socialists from PASOK (according to one of the latest polls, the party that occupied a leading position a couple of months ago is now gaining 26.4% of the vote, Grillo is ahead of it (29.1%) and Berlusconi's "People of Freedom" (34.8%) occurred during the voting for the election of the President of Italy.

Many among the "Democrats" did not accept the party's official line of voting with Berlusconi for a common candidate, the former Christian Democrat Franco Marini, while rejecting the left-wing independent, widely respected jurist, Stefano Rodot, Grillo's Five Star candidate. The result of an intra-party revolt was the failure of Marini's candidacy.

And on April 19, due to intrigues and friction between party "trends", the hated by Berlusconi candidacy of former Prime Minister Romano Prodi, who in 2008, by the way, refused the offer of Gazprom to head the South Stream construction project, was wasted ".

Thus, it turned out that on April 20, after 5 votes, both houses of parliament, together with delegates from the regions, did not elect a president. It was then that an unprecedented (but not prohibited by the Italian Constitution) decision materialized - the re-election of Napolitano for a second term.

"King Giorgio"

So nicknamed Napolitano - in connection with this, the earlier, rather ceremonial position of the president, thanks to him, acquired an unheard-of significance. Despite the fact that Napolitano has repeatedly repeated his unwillingness to stay, primarily because of his advanced age.

The oldest representative of the "Italian Communist Party", which collapsed in the early 90s, famous, in particular, for the fact that in 1956 he defended the entry of Soviet troops into Hungary with foam at the mouth, Napolitano is one of the few communists whom Berlusconi is ready to accept with open arms. After all, it was Napolitano who recently urged not to escalate the atmosphere of prosecution around Berlusconi, who is accused in a number of criminal cases: he is charged with tax fraud and aiding the prostitution of minors.

As a result, Napolitano was, for the first time in the history of united Italy, re-elected president for the second time, gaining 738 electoral votes out of 1007. Only Grillo, who called the incident a "coup d'état", opposed it.

On April 22, Napolitano's speech before Parliament took place, which can only be called surreal. While the 88-year-old president, in a voice trembling with emotion, scolded the political forces for “a long series of omissions, failures, closeness to compromise and irresponsibility”, for the fact that, despite his insistent calls, the law governing elections has not been changed in Italy, the main addressees of the presidential speech were constantly interrupted by endless applause. Berlusconi's party applauded the loudest, and he himself did not hide his smile...

Promises of reform

Enrico Letta, the new candidate for premier, has promised numerous reforms, from the notorious electoral law to a reduction in the number of parliamentarians and a fight against skyrocketing unemployment. However, he does not intend to form a government "at any cost." This is a hint of cooperation with Berlusconi, which will be very difficult for both the "Democratic Party" and its voters to swallow.

After the necessary reforms are carried out, perhaps in a year, it will be possible to talk about new elections. And then, probably, it will be the turn of the rebellious leader of the "Democratic Party", the 38-year-old (by Italian standards - "guy") mayor of Florence - Matteo Renzi. In the meantime, the charismatic Tuscan (Catholic and scout), who does not disdain temporary rapprochement with Berlusconi, is going to reform his party in order not to miss the next election.