ITALY: Outgoing European Commission President Romano Prodi yesterday expressed delight at the outcome of last weekend's Italian by-elections in which the newly regrouped centre-left coalition won all seven contested parliamentary seats, writes Paddy Agnew in Rome
Mr Prodi, who is widely expected to lead the centre-left against Prime Minister Mr Silvio Berlusconi at the next general election, scheduled for 2006, commented: "The 7-0 score of the by-elections is an extraordinary result and is proof yet again that when we are united we win."
Even though the government's Lower House majority is in no way jeopardised by the results, centre-left exponents have pointed to them as proof that a majority of Italians have lost faith in the charismatic Mr Berlusconi. The seven by-elections were called to fill vacancies left when the previous deputies died or took up seats in the new European Parliament.
Although the centre-left was expected to hold on to the four seats it won at the 2001 general election, it pulled off an emphatic clean sweep by winning three seats from the governing centre-right.
Of particular significance is that former trade unionist Mr Sergio D'Antoni and former head of state broadcaster RAI Roberto Zacaria won the Naples and Milan seats previously held respectively by right-wing activist Ms Alessandra Mussolini of Alternativa Sociale and Northern League leader Mr Umberto Bossi.
The results represented the sixth time in three years that the Berlusconi government has suffered a definitive setback in local, regional, national and European parliamentary elections.
Government figures yesterday played down the outcome, with Welfare Minister Mr Roberto Maroni commenting: "This result was prompted by the low turnout. After all, nothing was at stake, not the government of the country, nor a clash between leaders nor, indeed, the future of democracy - all things that are at stake when you have a general election."
At 40 per cent, voter turnout was indeed low by Italian standards, given that 81 per cent turned out to vote in the 2001 general election. However, this did not dampen the celebrations of the jubilant Grande Alleanza Democratica centre-left coalition. Mr Piero Fassino, leader of Democratic Left, the biggest party in the centre-left, said: "Berlusconi got what he deserved. This was an extraordinary victory for a united centre-left and the right would do well not to underestimate it."