Tag: Italy

Friday, April 19th 2013 - 02:35 UTC
Italy’s political stalemate extends to the election of a new president

Italy's parliament failed to elect a new state president in the first two votes on Thursday with a centre-left rebellion against leader Pier Luigi Bersani torpedoing his official candidate and prolonging a political stalemate.
Wednesday, April 10th 2013 - 00:26 UTC
Italy’s Bersani insists in refusing a “grand coalition’ with his arch rival Berlusconi

Italian centre-left leader Pier Luigi Bersani confirmed he would meet his centre-right rival Silvio Berlusconi soon, but held out little hope of a breakthrough in the political stalemate since February's inconclusive election.
Monday, April 1st 2013 - 09:27 UTC
Italian president confirms PM Monti until a new government can be formed

Italian President Giorgio Napolitano ruled out standing down early to make way for new parliamentary elections, following the failure of attempts to form a government this week. He stressed that Prime Minister Mario Monti retained full authority at the head of a caretaker administration until a new government can be formed
Thursday, March 28th 2013 - 09:40 UTC
“Only a mentally ill would want to govern Italy now” says frustrated Bersani

The head of Italy's centre-left bloc has hit an impasse in his efforts to form a government and said only a mentally ill person would want to govern Italy now. Pier Luigi Bersani was rebuffed by the anti-establishment Five Star Movement on Wednesday.
Friday, March 22nd 2013 - 02:32 UTC
Italy's Grillo asks for mandate to form government; Berlusconi available for any coalition

Italy's anti-establishment Five Star Movement has officially asked President Giorgio Napolitano for a mandate to form a new government. The party led by comedian Beppe Grillo won an unexpected 25% of the vote in elections last month and holds the balance of power.
Monday, March 18th 2013 - 07:53 UTC
Italian political deadlock could force another ballot by early June

Italian President Giorgio Napolitano appealed to political leaders to work together to form a government, but his appeal fell on deaf ears and pressure grew for a new poll after last month's deadlocked election. The situation is dominated by the ‘Grilusconi’ phenomenon which mustered a 55% protest vote.
Sunday, March 10th 2013 - 11:29 UTC
Fitch downgrades Italy’s debt rating; economy forecasted to contract 1.8% this year

Ratings agency Fitch added to Italy's mounting problems this week by cutting its credit rating due to the political uncertainty after last week's election, deep recession and rising debt. Fitch lowered Italy's sovereign rating by one notch to BBB plus, with a negative outlook, raising the risk that its next ratings change will be a further downgrade.
Monday, March 4th 2013 - 06:27 UTC
Grillo wants a referendum on the Euro and a review of Italy’s debt situation

Beppe Grillo, the leader of the 5-Star Movement that shocked the Italian political system has said he wants an online vote on Italy's membership of the Euro, in an interview with a German magazine published.
Wednesday, February 27th 2013 - 01:14 UTC
Italy fears knock world stock markets; US recovers on Bernanke’ defence of stimuli

World stock markets and southern European government bonds sank on Tuesday on fears that political stalemate in Italy would leave its economic reforms in tatters and reignite the Euro zone's broader debt crisis.
Tuesday, February 26th 2013 - 08:12 UTC
Italy rejects EU sponsored austerity measures leaves country in political deadlock

Italy faced political deadlock on Tuesday after a stunning election that saw the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement of comic Beppe Grillo become the strongest party in the country and left no political group with a clear majority in parliament. The protest vote is also a clear signal of the failure of the EU-German sponsored austerity measures which were implemented by the government of the non-elected technocrat government of Mario Monti.