THE CENTRE-right Italian government coalition of prime minister Silvio Berlusconi’s People of Freedom (PDL) party and the federalist Northern League yesterday appeared to be in disarray following three consecutive parliamentary defeats in the two turbulent days.
Firstly, government forces twice voted against measures presented by its own environment minister. Last night the Northern League voted with the opposition in favour of the arrest of PDL deputy, Alfonso Papa.
Mr Berlusconi and the PDL had argued against the arrest of Mr Papa, who is under investigation in Naples in connection with the so-called P4 hidden network of power and influence, involving cabinet ministers, police chiefs, newspaper editors, business figures and magistrates. The Northern League, however, under pressure from its grass roots, called for the deputy to be arrested although it left its deputies “freedom of conscience” on their votes.
In theory, the government should have been able to count on a majority of 330-340 votes. Last night, however, it was defeated 319 to 298, thanks to the Northern League vote.
In an attempt to copper fasten a “No” vote, government forces had obtained the right to a secret ballot in which deputies merely press a button on their desks. This way, the centre-right forces hoped that some Northern League figures and even opposition figures might vote with them.
However, the secret ballot did not save the day for the government with many of the Northern League deputies making a public show of which button they were pressing on their desks. Some League deputies took a picture of themselves voting “Yes” with their mobile phones in order to reassure their supporters.
Earlier in the day and also on Tuesday, there was further confusion in government ranks when opposition measures relating to the Naples rubbish crisis, measures which had the support of environment minister Stefania Prestigiacomo, were rejected by the centre-right majority. The Northern League has argued against pro-Naples measures and thus persuaded the government to vote against the opinion of its own environment minister.
Many commentators then predicted that in return for the Naples rubbish vote, the Northern League would vote to “save” Mr Papa. Not so, however, as the federalist movement took an independent line that may yet cause tensions within the Berlusconi cabinet.