Italian Senate Speaker to attempt interim government

Italian Senate Speaker Franco Marini agreed yesterday to try to form an interim government aimed at reforming electoral rules that are blamed for the collapse last week of the 61st government since World War II.

But Mr Marini, who was chosen by the President six days after centre-left Prime Minister Romano Prodi resigned, faces an uphill task convincing opposition leader Silvio Berlusconi and his allies to drop their demands for immediate elections.

"I will concentrate my efforts on trying to do this as quickly as possible," said 74-year-old Marini, who must try to garner cross-party ­support for an interim government, with himself as prime minister, to prepare for new elections.

Currently the second highest-ranking official in Italy after President Giorgio Napolitano, Mr Marini's neutral role as president of the upper house may give him a chance of reaching ­consensus, although he is from Mr Prodi's ­centre-left Democratic Party.

But Silvio Berlusconi, who lost power to Romano Prodi in 2006 but has a clear lead over the centre left in polls and senses the chance for a quick win, said earlier that Italian law does not provide for "a government born exclusively to prepare for elections".

The crisis has left the euro zone's third largest economy without a strong, credible government just as the global economy is slowing down and Italian business and consumer confidence is at its lowest for at least two years.

Markets fear another free-spending ­Berlusconi government could reverse progress made by Mr Prodi on reducing Italy's budget deficit and public debt, the highest in the EU.

"I look forward to the continuation of these very good policies that were followed so far by Prodi and (his Economy Minister Tommaso) Padoa-Schioppa," said EU Monetary Affairs Commissioner Joaquin Almunia in Brussels.

A new poll suggested that if the existing coalitions faced off again, in a repeat of the 2006 elections, Mr Berlusconi would win 54 per cent versus 44.5 per cent.

His foe would be Walter Veltroni, mayor of Rome and secretary of the Democratic Party founded with Mr Prodi last year. Mr Veltroni wants electoral reform before returning to the polls, which might give his party a fighting chance against Mr Berlusconi.

The centre-left would stand a better chance, said the poll by the ISPO agency, if the main Democratic Party split from its partners - which range from Catholics on one hand to communists on the other - and ran alone.

That would make for a closer contest, with Mr Berlusconi winning by a narrower margin of 51 per cent versus 48.5 per cent.

Romano Prodi resigned after his nine-party coalition, weakened by a small Catholic party's defection, lost a Senate confidence vote. His 20 months in office were constantly undermined by bickering among his allies.

Industry chief Luca Cordero di Montezemolo said Italy desperately needed "governability and economic growth... both require united efforts towards a shared solution".

But with Mr Berlusconi digging his heels in, consensus looked elusive, which could fuel popular distaste for the political class. Minutes after Mr Marini was named, politicians on both sides of the house began speculating publicly about whether to support or undermine an interim government headed by him.

But politics professor Franco Pavoncello of John Cabinet University in Rome said the president had probably asked Marini to try to form a government "because he had the sensation that after all some kind of majority might be found".