Berlusconi victory ‘does not inspire hope’ says EU socialist chief

Silvio Berlusconi’s electoral team-up with the anti-immigration Lega Nord party will damage Italy’s standing in the world, European socialist president Poul Nyrup Rasmussen has warned

The Danish MEP, who is also president of the Party of European Socialists (PES) said that Berlusconi’s decision to run in a coalition with Umberto Bossi’s Lega Nord party was ill advised and raised serious concerns for Italy.

"A government dependent on the extremist Lega Nord is an alarming prospect and will do nothing for Italy’s international reputation, said Rasmussen on Tuesday morning following confirmation of Berlusconi’s third term victory.

“Berlusconi was asked to support electoral reform but he refused and he is now reliant on extremists as coalition partners. But it was his choice to team up with these extremists."

“The return of Berlusconi does not inspire hope for either Italy or Europe.”

The 72 year old billionaire whose nickname is Il Cavaliere (the knight) won the weekend’s elections by an unexpectedly wide margin over the main contender, centre-left leader Walter Veltroni.

The centre-right coalition led by Berlusconi’s PDL party won 47.3 per cent of the vote with Veltroni’s Democratic Party taking 38 per cent.

Veltroni has sought to avoid the problems that besotted former prime minister Romano Prodi’s government by excluding Italy’s smaller left-wing parties as running mates.

Prodi was force to resign in January after three members of a small party withdrew their support for the former European commission president’s centre-left coalition.

Despite the defeat, Veltroni supporters were upbeat with the fact that his party is projected to be the largest elected group, polling around one in three Italian voters.

Commenting on the strong result for Veltroni’s democratic party Rasmussen said, “The only good thing to come out of this election is the emergence of a unified opposition, and the end of the fragmentation of the left.”

“The Partito Democratico has emerged as a major new force in Italian politics. Walter Veltroni made a break from the old politics and has increased the vote for the centre-left as a result.”

“Even if the centre-left cannot enter government there will be a strong opposition which should have a positive influence on the development of Italy.”

• Previous article
• Next article