Italy will be voting in 13 of its 20 regions on Sunday. Due to an administrative cock-up (the chap concerned went off for lunch) Berlusconi’s PdL party failed to lodge its candidate list in time in Lazio, the region which contains Rome.
The Prime Minister has been involved in the usual scandals – the long-running corruption trial which involved David Mills, his trying to get the critical Annozero programme off the airwaves (it will be broadcast by Murdoch), his criticising the lack of attractiveness of his opponents. But despite the fact that he is easily the dominant political figure of our times, this will not really be an election about Berlusconi. He has an approval rate of 44%, which Gordon Brown would give up the support of the Unite Union for, and will lose a bit in the polls, without being under any serious threat.
There are two figures to watch. Umberto Bossi, the thuggish head of the Northern League (which wants to separate from the poorer and more corrupt South), will probably improve its ratings and therefore demand more seats in the cabinet; and Gianfranco Fini, former head of the AN party who is ready to split away from Berlusconi, or challenge him, when the time is right. But it isn’t now.
The Left are still nowhere to be seen.
The Prime Minister has been involved in the usual scandals – the long-running corruption trial which involved David Mills, his trying to get the critical Annozero programme off the airwaves (it will be broadcast by Murdoch), his criticising the lack of attractiveness of his opponents. But despite the fact that he is easily the dominant political figure of our times, this will not really be an election about Berlusconi. He has an approval rate of 44%, which Gordon Brown would give up the support of the Unite Union for, and will lose a bit in the polls, without being under any serious threat.
There are two figures to watch. Umberto Bossi, the thuggish head of the Northern League (which wants to separate from the poorer and more corrupt South), will probably improve its ratings and therefore demand more seats in the cabinet; and Gianfranco Fini, former head of the AN party who is ready to split away from Berlusconi, or challenge him, when the time is right. But it isn’t now.
The Left are still nowhere to be seen.
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