A PUBLIC shouting match between prime minister Silvio Berlusconi and his main coalition partner has prompted questions about the future stability and cohesion of his centre-right government.
In a rare public debate involving senior figures in Mr Berlusconi’s centre-right Freedom Party (PDL), the prime minister got involved in a heated exchange yesterday with his PDL co-founder, speaker of the lower house Gianfranco Fini, formerly leader of right-wing party Alleanza Nazionale.
For months now, despite his institutional role, Mr Fini has been quietly critical of the political direction taken by the PDL since its foundation last year.
In a lengthy speech to the party’s national council yesterday, in front of an audience that contained many of the ministers in Mr Berlusconi’s government as well as senior party figures, Mr Fini repeated those criticisms, albeit in a conciliatory tone.
In particular, Mr Fini objected to the growing influence of the PDL’s coalition partner, the Federalist Northern League, arguing that the league has absorbed the PDL’s identity so completely in northern Italy that the two parties are inseparable.
To a mixture of embarrassed applause and heckling, Mr Fini in particular attacked the government’s hard line on immigration, a line inspired by the Northern League, he implied.
He also complained that the government had not directed enough attention or funds to next year’s celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the unity of Italy, again implying that this was because of the overbearing influence of the separatist Northern League which is traditionally hostile to the concept of a united Italy.
Furthermore, he argued that proposed federalist reforms involving the devolution of various powers to the regions, again the inspiration of the league, had not been properly prepared.
Visibly very annoyed, Mr Berlusconi attempted to interrupt Mr Fini on several occasions. Eventually, when Mr Fini had finished speaking, Mr Berlusconi jumped to his feet, took over the microphone and began a point-by-point rebuttal of Mr Fini. So much so that at one point, Mr Fini stood up, pointed his finger at Mr Berlusconi and said: “What do you want? Are you going to kick me out?”
Although Mr Fini said afterwards that he had no intention of resigning either as speaker or as a PDL party member, this rare public contestation of Mr Berlusconi indicates serious internal government tensions. In particular, Mr Fini is clearly upset at the increasing influence of the Northern League, the biggest winners in recent regional elections.