Italian PM Prodi resigns

From Wikinews, the free news source you can write!

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Romano Prodi (Image credit: Beppe Moro, GFDL)

Italian Prime Minister, Romano Prodi, delivered his resignation today to the country's President Giorgio Napolitano. The decision came following an embarrassing loss suffered by the Italian government on a foreign policy vote in the Italian Senate, concerning the engagement in Afghanistan and after a political split in the government coalition about the planned expansion of a U.S. Army base in Vicenza, in Northern Italy.

President Napolitano will begin consultations among Italian party Leaders on the next Thursday: according to the Italian Constitution, the President can send back Prodi to the Chambers for a vote or might choose another Prime Minister who might have enough support to put together a new government, or could be forced to dissolve the Parliament and call for new elections.

In the meantime, the President asked the government to stay on in a caretaker role.

Prodi has been Prime Minister for nine months.

Related news

• "Italy: president Napolitano dismisses Prodi's resignation". Wikinews, February 24, 2007

Sources

• "Prodi si è dimesso, domani le consultazioni". Corriere della sera, 21 febbraio 2007
• John Hooper "Prodi stands down after surprise defeat in senate over US alliance". The Guardian, February 22, 2007
  

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