This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-20932312

The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Italy: Berlusconi and Northern League in election pact Silvio Berlusconi 'won't stand for PM'
(about 5 hours later)
Italy's former Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, is to join forces with the controversial Northern League party for next month's elections. Italy's former leader, Silvio Berlusconi, will not return as prime minister even if his party wins next month's election, an ally has stated.
Mr Berlusconi said the League and his own People of Freedom movement would try to form a centre-right government. Roberto Maroni said it was explicitly ruled out by an electoral pact between his Northern League party and Mr Berlusconi's People of Freedom (PDL).
He also suggested he might not be the bloc's candidate for prime minister. The two parties are hoping to form a centre-right government, but have not named a candidate for prime minister.
The Northern League, recently mired in a corruption scandal, opposes immigration and wants greater fiscal autonomy for northern Italy. Mr Berlusconi said he might take the role of finance minister.
Polls suggest the combined bloc is still some way behind the centre-left coalition headed by Pier Luigi Bersani. In an interview earlier, he did not explicitly rule himself out of running the premiership, saying the candidate for the post "will be decided if we win", but that it could go to PDL secretary Angelino Alfano.
The People of Freedom (PDL) and Northern League were coalition partners in Mr Berlusconi's previous government, until the long-time leader of the League, Umberto Bossi, pulled his support and made Mr Berlusconi's position untenable at the end of 2011. "Alfano could be our candidate for prime minister and I could be the finance minister," he said.
Mr Berlusconi resigned and the technocrat, unelected Mario Monti took over. Mr Maroni noted that the bipartisan pact "says explicitly that the candidate for prime minister will not be Silvio Berlusconi. Silvio Berlusconi accepted the request to not stand as prime minister."
Mr Bossi himself was later forced to resign as head of his party as he was engulfed in a financial scandal. He denied allegations of misusing party funds.
In second placeIn second place
Mr Berlusconi signed his new deal with the League's current head, former Interior Minister Roberto Maroni. Polls suggest the combined bloc is still some way behind the centre-left coalition headed by the Democratic Party's Pier Luigi Bersani.
Mr Berlusconi said the two sides had not yet decided who to nominate for prime minister. A survey published on Sunday suggested the PDL and Northern League would win 28% of the vote, with the centre-left about 10 points ahead, and a centrist bloc backing Mario Monti taking about 15%.
"We will decide if we win," he said, adding that he would prefer to be the economy minister with his party ally Angelino Alfano as prime minister. The Northern League opposes immigration and wants greater fiscal autonomy for northern Italy.
An opinion poll published on Sunday suggested the PDL and Northern League would win 28% of the vote, with the centre-left about 10 points ahead, and a centrist bloc backing Mario Monti taking about 15%. It has been a coalition partner in three previous Berlusconi governments - including the one which ended early in November 2011, when the long-time leader of the League, Umberto Bossi, withdrew his support and made Mr Berlusconi's position untenable.
Mr Berlusconi resigned and the unelected technocrat Mario Monti took over.
Mr Bossi himself was later forced to resign as head of his party as he was engulfed in a financial scandal. He denied allegations of misusing party funds.