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Silvio Berlusconi's party riven over decision to pull out of coalition Silvio Berlusconi's party riven over decision to pull out of coalition
(about 3 hours later)
Silvio Berlusconi faced dissent within his People of Freedom (PdL) party on Monday, complicating his plans to bring down prime minister Enrico Letta's coalition government. But even if Letta survives a confidence vote on Wednesday, the prospects for stability and reform in Italy look more fragile than ever, as he will face a larger and stronger opposition backed by Berlusconi's media empire. Silvio Berlusconi faced dissent within his People of Freedom (PdL) party on Monday, complicating his plans to bring down prime minister Enrico Letta's coalition government.
Berlusconi was also caught up in a new storm that further damaged his relations with President Giorgio Napolitano, after a private phone call in which Berlusconi criticised Napolitano was broadcast on TV.
Even if Letta survives a confidence vote on Wednesday, the prospects for stability and reform in Italy look more fragile than ever, as he will face a larger and stronger opposition backed by Berlusconi's media empire.
Letta's hopes of survival appear to rest on some 20 senators from Berlusconi's party, who are unhappy with his shock decision on Saturday to withdraw his ministers from Letta's government.Letta's hopes of survival appear to rest on some 20 senators from Berlusconi's party, who are unhappy with his shock decision on Saturday to withdraw his ministers from Letta's government.
Italian shares and bonds recovered some of their losses on financial markets after a party source told Reuters that the group of PdL moderates may be ready to back the government and break away from the PdL if Berlusconi does not soften his stance. Italian shares and bonds recovered some of their losses on financial markets after a party source told Reuters that the group of PdL moderates might be ready to back the government and break away from the PdL if Berlusconi does not soften his stance.
However, whether the dissidents are actually prepared to back Letta remains to be seen. They did not speak out at a PdL meeting on Monday where Berlusconi called for unity, repeated that the party must push for early elections, and did not open any internal debate, according to lawmakers present.However, whether the dissidents are actually prepared to back Letta remains to be seen. They did not speak out at a PdL meeting on Monday where Berlusconi called for unity, repeated that the party must push for early elections, and did not open any internal debate, according to lawmakers present.
"I asked for a debate and some explanation and I was told politely that it would wait for another occasion," PdL moderate lawmaker Fabrizio Cicchitto, one of the first to express any opposition to Berlusconi, told reporters after the meeting."I asked for a debate and some explanation and I was told politely that it would wait for another occasion," PdL moderate lawmaker Fabrizio Cicchitto, one of the first to express any opposition to Berlusconi, told reporters after the meeting.
The airing of Berlusconi's phone call prompted a furious reaction from the president.
A current affairs programme on the private channel La 7 broadcast a phone tap in which Berlusconi said he had been informed that Napolitano had exerted influence on Italy's top appeals court in a case involving Berlusconi's media empire.
Berlusconi said he had heard that Napolitano called the court to find out the verdict before it had been announced and then told the court to reconvene, finally resulting in a more negative verdict for Berlusconi.
The 88-year-old president issued a fiercely worded statement saying that what Berlusconi said he had been told was "simply another delirious, vulgar and slanderous invention regarding the head of state".
Berlusconi's lawyer, Niccolo Ghedini said the decision to broadcast the conversation was "a violation of Italy's constitutional principles". Berlusconi's spokesman was not available for comment.
Berlusconi can ill afford to alienate Napolitano, who is the only person who can dissolve parliament and call new elections, as Berlusconi wants.
Relations have been increasingly tense between the two men since Berlusconi was convicted of tax fraud last month. Many of Berlusconi's allies have criticised the president for not granting Berlusconi a pardon or intervening in the legal process in some other way to help their leader.
Napolitano has made clear his exasperation with Berlusconi's recent steps to undermine Letta's government.
Last week he described as "absurd" Berlusconi's claims that the judges who convicted him were guilty of subversion or a coup d'etat and repeated that neither he nor Letta could do anything to change the outcome of the trial.
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