Crushing double defeat at polls for Berlusconi

[kskiska]

The Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi suffered one of the worst setbacks of his political career yesterday when he was badly defeated in local elections, including in his provincial stronghold around Milan.

In two rounds of elections his centre-Right coalition, which swept to national power three years ago with the largest majority in post-war history, lost 52 out of 63 provincial council contests. The centre-Right also lost 22 out of 30 mayoral races.

Critics said the defeats, coming three weeks after similar humiliations in European elections, signalled the beginning of the end for the media tycoon-turned-politician's political empire.

Both results are being seen as emblematic of growing national dissent over the prime minister's showy style of politics, known as Berlusconismo.

more…
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/06/29/wberl29.xml&sSheet=/portal/2004/06/29/ixportal.html

[FlemingsGhost]

1. Scratch him off the list:

Blair, Bush and Howard remain.

[pinniped]

2. * has the touch of death.

n/t

[Twillig]

3. The Italians are voting against *smirk in the only way they can.

by voting against those that have their nose up his chimp ass.

[Junkdrawer]

4. I'm sure the Coalition of the Willing will snowball after this...

Spain

Great Britain

Italy

The hits just keep on coming...

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

30. Britain? What heppened there?

AFAIK Blair is still there albeit scarred.

[Catt03]

5. Does this mean he is out or his party has just lost seats

It reads to me that the centre Right just lost mayoral seats and council candidates running as centre right. That does not mean he is gone. Right?

[Trajan]

12. Italy, I believe, has a parliamentary system ...

Which means the Party that wins the most seats in Parliament selects a Prime Minister from their ranks, who forms a government, usually in coalition with like minded parties ...

He is never voted in by the people: His PARTY is voted in, who then would select him ...

THATS if they win, ... which it appears they will not, given the current atmosphere in Italy ....

[rooboy]

6. Wasn't Milan the place where Mussolini was hung by the heels? n/t

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

18. Piazzale Loreto in Milan.

They threw his mistress in for good luck.

[gristy]

7. Excellent

I didn't know he was up for election. What little I know of Berlusconi I read in an article a while back (in Atlantic, maybe?). He appeared to be a criminal. Glad the Italians have wised up.

[librechik]

8. wish we could dis-elect our bad leaders

lucky Italy!

[UpInArms]

9. the world will be a

richer place without that piece of fascist pigshit running that beautiful country.

[Hoping4Change]

10. BBC did a doc about him. Really despicable and

dangerous man. Excellent news that if he gets turfed but watch closely for very dirty tricks come the election.

[Zorra]

11. Yeeehaaaaw! Go, Italy!

52 out of 63 provincial council seats, 22 out of 30 mayoral positions.

That is making a serious statement against right wingers.

[yorgatron]

13. he's lucky he didn't end up like mussolini

too bad he still controls that much media.

[kskiska]

14. Left celebrates after Berlusconi's coalition defeated in strongho

If, as Silvio Berlusconi likes to say, Italian politics is like a game of football, then his side has just taken a severe beating on its home ground.

His centre-right coalition could even be said to have scored an own goal.

(snip)

"How can one not read the Milan victory as a political sign for the entire country?" said Romano Prodi, the outgoing EU commission president and would-be opposition leader.

(snip)

'The Berlusconi product is not selling any more," said La Repubblica, calling for early elections.

more…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/italy/story/0,12576,1249559,00.html

[gasperc]

15. thank God, I was seriously starting to worry for my beloved native country

son of Italian immigrants

[markses]

16. Berlusconi is still the Prime Minister, people (these are not national)

His party lost provinvial seats, but this is not the same as a parliamentary election. Think of it as gubernatorial elections - like Democrats winning the governorships of 45 states in a mid-term election. It doesn't remove the President, but it sure makes him or her look vulnerable. That's the analogy.

[Just Me]

17. Ahhh,...the pendulum is finally swinging back,...hopefully also in the USA

*eom*

[bhunt70]

19. berlusconismo is catchy

[UTUSN]

20. Well, AlRIGHTy, Then!!!!!!!! n/t

[Arugula Latte]

21. Time to Pay the Piper!

The cynical world leaders who went along with Dumbass's little bloody corporate escapade in Iraq are getting their due! Ha Ha, Suckers!

Tony and George: YOU'RE NEXT!

[cliss]

22. They say that the ability to wait for an extremely long time

(or otherwise known as Delayed Gratification) is a sign of higher evolution. A hamster may not want to sit and wait for a food pellet, but a Chimp might.

Think of how long we've had to wait for this moment.....first Jose Aznar, next Blair in EU polls, and now Berlusconi.....

I can see the headlines in November.........Bush defeat.......

It was worth the wait......

[fabius]

23. Woo Hoo! Democracy lands another punch...

to the global corporo-fascist machine.

Building up slowly to the big one!

[Gloria]

24. Encouraging, considering that Berlusconi controls most of the media

in Italy! What has been happening in Italy has also freaked me out, since I'm also of Italian descent with relatives still there.......

[daleo]

25. So far, every politician who supported the war has been punished

At the polls, and every politician who rejected the war has been rewarded. Paul Martin's victory in Canada tonight keeps that streak going.

As far as can recall, anyway. If anyone can think of a counter-example I would be glad to hear of it.

[ze_dscherman]

26. Not really

Both German Schröder and French Chirac just recently lost badly in the EU polls, despite their anti-war stance.

[daleo]

29. Point taken

I suppose they are in the same position as Blair, in terms of the EU polls, whom I understand did not do well either. I suppose the real test will be when their own positions come up for election.

[CWebster]

27. Kerry? nt

[daleo]

31. Kerry is an interesting case

If he gets elected, are American voters supporting someone who objected to the war by only giving it (apparently) limited support, or punishing someone who actually started the war (Bush)? I suppose U.S. voters have something of a Hobson's choice.

"Where to elect there is but one, 'tis Hobson's choice -- take that or none."

Well between that an the EU elections thing about Chirac and Schroder, there goes my generalization.

[bushwakker]

28. Another Bush ally swirling down the toilet

serves him right.

[yellowcanine]

32. His support of * probably hurt him but it goes much further than that.

I think Italians are basically getting tired of his showboating style of politics. How secure is his coalition? If it is tenuous, this could triger a no-confidence vote.

[LoneStarLiberal]

33. When You Lie Down With Bushes...

When you lie down with the Bushes, you wake up out of office.

[struggle4progress]

34. kick

:kick:

[Swamp Rat]

35. Molto buono!

Cosa danno all'Opera questa sera? La morte di Berlusconi?