So farewell then Silvio...

mike65

The Italians are preparing to say ciao to the shiny chancer dispite the rate of unemployment falling and not ditching the euro (yet!).

Of course his own busines empire has florrished while in office and he is now worth some 8-9 billion euro and it sems to be this that has turned the public away from his chutzpah as the public debt spirials.

His likely removal from power also opens up the propect of a no doubt epic legal challange in connection with fraud and corruption.

Tony and Cherie Blair will miss his freebies.

The election is on Sunday.

Mike.

lostexpectation

mike65 wrote:

The Italians are preparing to say ciao to the shiny chancer dispite the rate of unemployment falling and not ditching the euro (yet!).

Of course his own busines empire has florrished while in office and he is now worth some 8-9 billion euro and it sems to be this that has turned the public away from his chutzpah as the public debt spirials.

His likely removal from power also opens up the propect of a no doubt epic legal challange in connection with fraud and corruption.

Tony and Cherie Blair will miss his freebies.

The election is on Sunday.

Mike.

they using electronic elections at all?

Maskhadov

Ciao A Presto Silvio !! (spero!!)

flogen

I'd love to be able to watch the Mediaset news coverage of his loss (Assuming it happens)...

... of course, the biggest barrier would be understanding them rather than watching them.

Sand

He is rather amazing - he gives press conferences like he was just posting to a board like this instead of trying to be statesmanlike or even or practically anything youd associate with a politician. I can see how the core support would love him, but he must drive away neutrals in their hordes.

I'd love to be able to watch the Mediaset news coverage of his loss (Assuming it happens)...

Hell be blaming everyone from the CIA to the judiciary and calling them every name under the sun.

The Corinthian

mike65 wrote:

The Italians are preparing to say ciao to the shiny chancer dispite the rate of unemployment falling and not ditching the euro (yet!).

I would not be someone who would vote for the left (there’s a surprise), however I’d have to say that I couldn’t bring myself to vote for Berlusconi. He got Italy into the Iraq mess and got pretty much nothing in return outside of a few photo opportunities with GWB and the economy has not improved markedly, indeed it’s arguable that any of his reforms (few as they were) actually achieved anything.

And he’s embarrassing. There are numerous Italian diplomats that I know wake up every morning dreading what they’ll have to apologise for that day - between boiled Chinese babies, flirting with Finnish presidents and German Nazi MEP’s it’s just been a long cringefest. And with the pressure of the elections on him he’s just gotten worse and worse; this recent interview was for many a watershed for many as he simply seemed to lose it, threatening the reporters career, claiming communist conspiracies and finally just walking out on it.

If Prodi wins it will be on account of Berlusconi’s incompetence rather than his own abilities - many of his own coalition are not crazy about him, after all. For the Italian right the best thing that Berlusconi could do at this stage is step aside for Fini who is an infinitely more competent man.

The election is on Sunday.

Sunday and Monday, depending upon the region. Non-resident citizens, such as myself, have already voted this week.

Cillian1973

FORZA ITALIA!!!!!!!!!!
Silvio is an amazing leader just lokk at his significant additions to the state

Since coming to power he has managed to reduce economic growth from above 3% to 0.8%

Italy is in such a state economically that it may be forced to leave the euro zone

Come on Romano Prodi!!!!!!!!!!!!

mike65

Whats the story with the voting dragging on until Monday? Its Italy not India!

Mike.

The Corinthian

mike65 wrote:

Whats the story with the voting dragging on until Monday? Its Italy not India!

Italy has been a federated republic since 1946. This has become even more pronounced given a the influence of the Lega Nord (Northern League) in the current coalition, as they were able to successfully demand numerous reforms that resulted in greater autonomy for many of the regions. Some regions, such as Trentino-Alto Adige and Valle d'Aosta are at this stage pretty independent of almost everything bar foreign policy. As such there are variations on the days people can vote.

Or to put it another way:

"Governare gli italiani non è difficile. È inutile."
(To govern Italians is not difficult. It's pointless.) - Benito Mussolini

Pazaz 21

Cillian1973 wrote:

Italy is in such a state economically that it may be forced to leave the euro zone

Silvio has screwed the Italian Economy up so much that the only choice they may have is to ditch the euro and go back to the lira (if that's even possible), as a currency devaluation is about the only way to make the country truely competitive again.:eek:

As there is no way in heck that Prodi is going to do anything of the sort to alienate himself from his beloved EU, i sure hope he has a plan !!

The Corinthian

Pazaz 21 wrote:

Silvio has screwed the Italian Economy up so much that the only choice they may have is to ditch the euro and go back to the lira (if that's even possible), as a currency devaluation is about the only way to make the country truely competitive again.:eek:

Berlusconi didn’t as much screw up the economy as fail to reform it.

As for currency devaluation being the only way to fix things, that’s not true. Currency devaluation is a short-term solution that simply makes the economy artificially competitive for relatively short periods before it has to be carried out again, while a proper solution would realistically have to tackle both tax and labour reform. Berlusconi’s right failed to do this and Prodi’s left is unlikely to even consider it.

Returning to the Lira would an economic disaster. Other than irrevocably damaging Italy’s international business reputation, it would also harm her export market that benefits greatly from the Eurozone.

As there is no way in heck that Prodi is going to do anything of the sort to alienate himself from his beloved EU, i sure hope he has a plan !!

More to the point, Prodi was the Italian PM to introduce the Euro to Italy in the first place, so it’s very unlikely indeed.

Pazaz 21

The Corinthian wrote:

Berlusconi didn’t as much screw up the economy as fail to reform it.

As for currency devaluation being the only way to fix things, that’s not true. Currency devaluation is a short-term solution that simply makes the economy artificially competitive for relatively short periods before it has to be carried out again, while a proper solution would realistically have to tackle both tax and labour reform. Berlusconi’s right failed to do this and Prodi’s left is unlikely to even consider it.

Returning to the Lira would an economic disaster. Other than irrevocably damaging Italy’s international business reputation, it would also harm her export market that benefits greatly from the Eurozone.

More to the point, Prodi was the Italian PM to introduce the Euro to Italy in the first place, so it’s very unlikely indeed.

I stand corrected, but isn't not doing anything just as bad or the same as screwing it up?

I just meant the devaluation as a temporary way to perhaps jump start the economy, i was trying (unsuccessfully) to perhaps show what would be done in a non euro zone country, i know that they could not ditch the euro, but isn't that what Silvio wanted to do, i'm not sure so please correct me if i'm wrong.

And yes i am aware that Prodi intoduced the Euro to Italy !!:D

The Corinthian

Pazaz 21 wrote:

I stand corrected, but isn't not doing anything just as bad or the same as screwing it up?

I never said it wasn’t bad or even as bad, only that it isn’t the same thing.

I just meant the devaluation as a temporary way to perhaps jump start the economy, i was trying (unsuccessfully) to perhaps show what would be done in a non euro zone country, i know that they could not ditch the euro, but isn't that what Silvio wanted to do, i'm not sure so please correct me if i'm wrong.

The phrase “jump start the economy” has frankly become little more than a cliché, typically used by the right to justify tax cuts, but often also by the left to justify expenditure. Ultimately you can “jump start the economy”, but if it’s still fundamentally unsound it would be like jump starting a motorbike with an empty fuel tank.

As for leaving the Eurozone, Forza Italia (Berlusconi’s party) have no desire to do so. Some of the fringe parties do want to leave it, as do Berlusconi’s coalition partners, the Northern League.

mike65

Too close to call really

Mike.

The farewells may be premature. Looks like it's closer than predicted.

anonymous_joe

Might he do a Milan, and score 2 late goals?

Not as fatuous an idea as it sounds...

Pazaz 21

May we be looking at a Bush / Gore 2004 recount and prolonged legal battle ? I can't see Silvio giving up as long as he has even a glimmer of a hope.

mike65

Even if Prodi is'nt the winner Silvio won't win either, he'll never be asked to form a government.

Mike.

dimerocks

http://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/1,60935,3275253.html
Watch these videos of the little fella!

Pazaz 21

LOL, Classic!!!!:D

SeanW

Sounds like good ol' Silvio is Ber-lus-GONE-i

Pazaz 21

Won't this dude ever quit, YOU LOST, GET OVER IT!!!!:rolleyes:

Far Corfe

dimerocks wrote:

http://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/1,60935,3275253.html
Watch these videos of the little fella!

Unfortunately for the joke these images are not Berlusconi. Its a lookalike in a TV satire show. Its as real as Rory Bremner doing Tony Blair but funnier

Pazaz 21

Far Corfe wrote:

Unfortunately for the joke these images are not Berlusconi. Its a lookalike in a TV satire show. Its as real as Rory Bremner doing Tony Blair but funnier

No sh*t sherlock!!