Italian Premier Prodi resigns

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Source: CCTV.com | 01-25-2008 13:34

Italian Premier Romano Prodi has resigned after his coalition lost a confidence vote in the Senate. It ends a 20 month government plagued by infighting.

Italian Premier Romano Prodi has resigned after his  coalition lost a confidence vote in the Senate.  (CCTV.com)

Prodi's administration, which had a wafer-thin majority in the upper house ever since it came to power, lost the crucial test by five votes.

Franco Marini, President of Italian Senate, said, "Present senators 319, voting senators 318, majority 160. Senators in favor 156, senators against 161."

Prodi's government called confidence votes in the Lower House and Senate. He won the confidence vote in the Lower House on Wednesday. But defections in his coalition made it clear he did not have a majority in the Senate.

There had been pressure on him both in his own coalition and in the opposition to resign and forego the Senate test.

Prodi had tried his best to keep his center-left coalition from collapsing.

Romano Prodi, Italian Prime Minister, said, "Halting the action of the government for several months is a luxury that Italy cannot afford. This is the reason why I am asking for your vote of confidence. I'm asking everyone of you ladies and gentlemen, members of the Senate for confidence to relaunch with new power and new awareness, a wider reforming process that our country urgently needs now."

The premier has handed his resignation to President Giorgio Napolitano, who will meet with political leaders to decide the country's immediate political future.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei