WITH an election campaign under way - and the presence of political leaders at national soccer games on Sunday proved it - the centre right and the centre left groups spent much of the weekend trying to resolve internal differences well in advance of the April 21st polls.
On the right, trouble may be brewing on the leadership issue. An interview in yesterday's Milan daily Corriere Della Sera by neofascist Alleanza Nazionale leader Mr Gianfranco Fini appeared to query the suitability of Mr Silvio Berlusconi as candidate for prime minister.
Mr Berlusconi is on trial on corruption charges in Milan. He may also be charged in forthcoming trials concerning financial fraud and the payment of funds by his Fininvest group to the former socialist prime minister, Mr Bettino Craxi.
Mr Berlusconi responded angrily, saying he remained the leader of the right and that he could not withdraw himself" at such a critical moment. Mr Fini, however, told Italian state television that if Mr Berlusconi decided to step dawn, then that decision would be his alone. Mr Fini is, of course, the obvious alternative leader on the right.
On the left, "Olive" leader Prof Romano Prodi has his problems too, especially in building an electoral platform for uneasy bedfellows such as ultra left Rifondazione Communista and the federalist Northern League, all under the root of the ex communist Democratic Left (PDS).
For the time being, the Olive coalition hopes at least to agree on a "ceasefire" policy of "desistance" that would prevent two or more "Olive" parties fighting the same seat.
The major election issues are already clear. Messrs Berlusconi and Fini will play the "stability" card.
They will argue that a vote for the right is a vote for radical constitutional changes including the direct election of a state president with increased powers. Such reforms, they will argue, can no longer be delayed, given the chronic political instability of a country which has had 54 governments in the post war period.
Mr Berlusconi spelt it out yesterday: "On April 21st, there will be a referendum to choose between two Italys: The Italy which chooses the way of federalism and the direct election of the head of the executive in order to guarantee both stable government and the realisation of government programmes that have been chosen by the electorate or the Italy in which the old power centres confirm their predominance over the state.
The left argues that such presidential powers must be counter balanced by increased powers for parliament.
Both right and left will concentrate electoral efforts on winning over an unusually high proportion (more than 20 per cent) of undecided voters.
In this regard, figures such as banker prime ministers Mr Lamberto Dini and Mr Carlo Azeglio Ciampi and the most recent Prime Minister designate, Mr Antonio Maccanico, are all seen as important "catches". For the time being, these three seem inclined to throw in their lot with the centre left.