ITALY: Italy was yesterday still stuck in political wonderland, focused on its tale of two prime ministers.
On the one hand, election winner and prime minister-elect Romano Prodi is already struggling to hold together his fractious centre-left coalition while, on the other, beaten centre-right prime minister Silvio Berlusconi stubbornly refuses to acknowledge his defeat.
No sooner had the High Court on Wednesday confirmed Mr Prodi's razor-thin victory, following a recount called for by Mr Berlusconi, than the centre-left Union coalition was facing its first serious internal dispute.
At the heart of the disagreement was the nomination for the traditionally prestigious and high-profile role of speaker in the chamber of deputies.
Both Democratic Left (DS), the largest party in Mr Prodi's coalition, and Rifondazione Comunista, a hardline leftist party that is nevertheless vital to the coalition's survival, had proposed heavyweight candidates in DS president Massimo D'Alema and Rifondazione leader Fausto Bertinotti.
In an effort to resolve the impasse, both parties said they accepted that the final decision lay with Mr Prodi. Mr D'Alema struck a conciliatory tone, saying: "We all know too well that we're called on to show a strongly united front and we will not come up short on that." Then, late last night, the DS president said he was no longer a candidate for the position. Mr D'Alema, a former prime minister, could well now be offered the role of foreign minister in the new executive.
As Mr Prodi works on the formation of his new government, speculation has mounted that he may appoint former director of the European Central Bank Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa to the key post of economy minister.
It is believed the appointment of a prestigious non-elected technocrat such as Mr Padoa-Schioppa might provide reassurance to capital markets worried by the intractability of Italy's economic stagnation. Asked about the possibility, Mr Prodi commented: "It is a serious, reasoned hypothesis but it's not a done deal."
Asked about Mr Berlusconi's continuing refusal to make the ritual phone call to acknowledge the election result, Mr Prodi observed: "At this point, it's Berlusconi's decision - a question of good manners, institutionally speaking. If he makes the phone call, he makes it, if not, then democracy will go on all the same. Certainly, it's a pity. These rituals reinforce democracy. They're not indispensable, but they indicate a certain style."
Even if Mr Berlusconi does not acknowledge the result, others do - as was underlined by the long-delayed phone call of congratulation made by President George W Bush to Mr Prodi yesterday.
The president said he looked forward to working with the new government and meeting Mr Prodi.
Given the constitutional bottle-neck posed by the need to elect a new Italian president when parliament convenes next week, Mr Prodi is unlikely to take office until the end of May.
President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi's mandate expires next month and he is keen that the task of nominating Italy's next prime minister should fall to his successor.
Italian newspapers agreed yesterday that the squabble over the top jobs in the administration was a PR disaster.
"Leaving aside the possible outcome, which still hangs in the balance, this is an emblematic mess," Corriere della Sera newspaper wrote.