I just don't understand. I have been trying to follow Italian politics and I can't seem to figure what in the heck is going on with our government. Back home in America, it was much easier to follow. You've got the conservative Republican party and the liberal democratic party. Every once in a while, a third party throws its hat into the race for the presidential office. You know, just to mix it up a bit.
Italy seems to have more political parties than it has types of wine. To add more confusion to the pot, there is an elected Prime Minister AND an elected President. The Prime Minster is the figure head of the country while the President "keeps his eye" on the leader, making sure that he is following the rules and doing what is best for the people.
Huh?
Now I don't know if Italian politics are just extremely difficult to follow or if the problem is that I am a complete idiot (though both scenarios are quite possible). I have been trying to understand how the government works here and just don't get it.
What I do understand is that the Italian government is extremely unstable. Since World War 2 the government has changed hands on the average of once a year. Can you imagine? Silvio Berlusconi has been Italy's longest running Prime Minster, lasting five years (though many argue the self made billionaire paid for the privilege).
Nine months ago, the king was dethroned when Romano Prodi won the election and took the seat as Italy's new Prime minister. However, the win was shorted lived.
Yesterday Prodi resigned leaving me to wonder what is in store for Italy's future? I understand that there was a disagreement between Prodi and the left winged Communist Party. What I don't understand is how that disagreement ended with the resignation of our Prime Minister.
So now the future of our government is up in the air. Even worse, the door is wide open for Berlusconi to walk back in.
I think I should book an appointment with Il Sindaco. Maybe HE can explain this mess to me.
5 comments:
I don't understand either. Yesterday I heard there was an accord between Prodi and the radical communist and....and...and...the whole thing gives me such a headache.
If you figure it out, please explain.
I completely understand how you feel! I dont get Italian politics at all (of course I dont pay much attention to american politics either!). I remember during the election when I asked a friend of mine why there were two days for voting, as I found that odd, and he told me that a lot of people will wait to vote, to see how the first day goes and then decide based on how their candidate is doing whether they should go cast a ballot or not!
After that, I gave up on trying to understand.
The whole thing sounds very amusing, confusing, and frustrating. VERY Italian!! Ha ha. Good luck trying to wade through that mess!
It is complicated to us because it touches some basic cultural differences. We are used to a party voting for a candidate with the winner taking all and the loser accepting the winner's position and falling in line. Here they do not culturally believe in the value of the "winner take all". They need to have the consensus of all of the parties in the governing block, the smaller and more radical voices do not accept to step in line with the main line of the party. The party must reach a consensus with them or they do renegade things like voting against the party, as just happened, in the area of foreign policy. The whole thought process is different and uncomprehensible to us.
Check my recent blog entry on the government's fall.
best to you.
Jane- It is all just so confusing! And now Prodi is back!
Lori- It all just makes my head hurt! Hehehehehe!
Kim and Victoria- You hit the nail on the head!
Elizabeth- It seems that they are so worried about giving one person too much power that they set it up so NO ONE has ANY power. Will they ever see that it just doesn't work?
Cyn
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