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| Version 6 | Version 7 |
|---|---|
| Italy's Prodi to risk Senate vote | Italy's Prodi to risk Senate vote |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Embattled Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi is to risk a confidence vote in the Senate despite calls for him to resign. | Embattled Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi is to risk a confidence vote in the Senate despite calls for him to resign. |
| Mr Prodi had been advised by President Giorgio Napolitano to avoid the vote, which the PM is in danger of losing. | Mr Prodi had been advised by President Giorgio Napolitano to avoid the vote, which the PM is in danger of losing. |
| Mr Prodi held crisis talks with Mr Napolitano after the crucial desertion of a small party in his coalition. | Mr Prodi held crisis talks with Mr Napolitano after the crucial desertion of a small party in his coalition. |
| The PM won a confidence vote in the lower house on Wednesday but, on paper at least, has lost his Senate majority. | The PM won a confidence vote in the lower house on Wednesday but, on paper at least, has lost his Senate majority. |
| When Mr Prodi met Mr Napolitano on Wednesday, the president was reported to have advised him to consider resigning instead of going ahead with Thursday's Senate vote at 2000 local time (1900GMT). | When Mr Prodi met Mr Napolitano on Wednesday, the president was reported to have advised him to consider resigning instead of going ahead with Thursday's Senate vote at 2000 local time (1900GMT). |
| ITALIAN SENATE BREAKDOWN Total seats: 321Majority needed: 161Prodi's coalition: 155Berlusconi's coalition: 156Others:Life senators: 7 (4 support Prodi)Udeur: 3 (may abstain) class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/7206817.stm">Analysis: Chaos and betrayal | |
| But at a follow-up meeting on Thursday, Mr Prodi told the president he would go to the Senate, according to Italian media reports. | But at a follow-up meeting on Thursday, Mr Prodi told the president he would go to the Senate, according to Italian media reports. |
| He told the Corriere della Sera newspaper that he wanted the vote to go ahead for the sake of the nation. | He told the Corriere della Sera newspaper that he wanted the vote to go ahead for the sake of the nation. |
| "It's painful, but I have to do it for the country," he said. "Italians have the right to know who is in favour of my government and who is opposed." | "It's painful, but I have to do it for the country," he said. "Italians have the right to know who is in favour of my government and who is opposed." |
| Berlusconi's boon? | Berlusconi's boon? |
| The crisis was sparked by the withdrawal on Monday of the centrist Udeur party - with its three seats - from Mr Prodi's ruling coalition, costing the prime minister his Senate advantage of two. | The crisis was sparked by the withdrawal on Monday of the centrist Udeur party - with its three seats - from Mr Prodi's ruling coalition, costing the prime minister his Senate advantage of two. |
| The party pulled out, citing a lack of support for its leader, the former Justice Minister Clemente Mastella, who resigned after being named in a corruption probe. He maintains that he is innocent. | The party pulled out, citing a lack of support for its leader, the former Justice Minister Clemente Mastella, who resigned after being named in a corruption probe. He maintains that he is innocent. |
| The embattled 68-year-old premier won Wednesday's Chamber of Deputies vote by 326 votes to 275. | The embattled 68-year-old premier won Wednesday's Chamber of Deputies vote by 326 votes to 275. |
| But his hopes of mustering enough support to carry the Senate and save his 20-month-old, centre-left coalition look increasingly forlorn, analysts say. | But his hopes of mustering enough support to carry the Senate and save his 20-month-old, centre-left coalition look increasingly forlorn, analysts say. |
| Silvio Berlusconi, a conservative former prime minister who was defeated by Mr Prodi in 2006 elections, wants to see the premier defeated in the Senate. | Silvio Berlusconi, a conservative former prime minister who was defeated by Mr Prodi in 2006 elections, wants to see the premier defeated in the Senate. |
| This would trigger calls for snap elections, which polls suggest Mr Berlusconi's centre-right Forza Italia party could win comfortably, our correspondent says. | This would trigger calls for snap elections, which polls suggest Mr Berlusconi's centre-right Forza Italia party could win comfortably, our correspondent says. |