Berlusconi Suffers Defeat in Referendums

[bemildred]

Source: AP

MILAN—Italian voters have dealt Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi a serious political blow, overturning laws passed by his government to revive nuclear energy, privatize the water supply and help him avoid prosecution.

Partial results from referendums Monday showed clear majorities to throw out the water-privatization law, kill a law reviving nuclear energy and undo legislation offering the Italian leader a partial legal shield in criminal prosecutions.

Voter turnout topped 57%—safely above the 51% needed to validate the vote. It is the first time since 1995 that a quorum has been reached.

Mr. Berlusconi conceded Monday that Italy will "probably" have to give up plans to revive nuclear energy in a tacit acknowledgment that the referendums challenging government policies have succeeded.



Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303714704576383452729642270.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

[xchrom]

1. ...

:woohoo:

[xchrom]

2. ...

:woohoo:

[bemildred]

3. Damn shame, ain't it?

B-)

[xchrom]

4. a down right pity. nt

[formercia]

5. Breaks my Heart...

Oh, wait. I meant wind.

[AndyTiedye]

6. No More Nukes, and No More Berlusconi!

[Downwinder]

7. Looks like they cut it off.

[suffragette]

8. Very glad to hear this

K&R


Posted earlier about the voting on this and the propaganda Italians had to overcome.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4881836

[Nitram]

9. it's about time

Italians repudiated this right-wing criminal

[shoeless]

10. Europeans are figuring it out

They are beginning to understand the disasterous consequences of right-wing policies.

[reorg]

11. Voters batter Berlusconi again in law referendums

Source: The Independent

By Michael Day in Milan
Tuesday, 14 June 2011

Silvio Berlusconi's already battered government last night saw voters take an axe to much of the key legislation it has introduced since the 74-year-old tycoon returned to power three years ago.

Voting in four referendums, Italians decided to repeal laws on the revival of nuclear power, water privatisation and the widely criticised "legitimate impediment" rule that enables Mr Berlusconi, who is facing criminal charges in four trials, to avoid court appearances.

The latest thumbs down from the Italian electorate comes just two weeks after Prime Minister's ruling PdL (People of Freedom party) was kicked out of Naples and even his home city of Milan. Yesterday's votes showed that the Berlusconi administration is now rudderless and impotent, Professor James Walston, of the American University in Rome, said. "This is a vote on Berlusconi's popularity," Professor Walston said. "And it shows that things are unravelling faster than we expected."

Describing yesterday as "an extraordinary day", Pierluigi Bersani, leader of the centre-left Democratic Party, called on Mr Berlusconi to resign. Italians were given the chance to vote in the referendums after activists collected the half a million signatures required.

Mr Berlusconi and his supporters refused to vote in the hope of encouraging sufficient abstentions to make the process invalid. But after two days of voting, the referendums had by the closure of the polls at 3pm yesterday easily obtained the 51 per cent electorate participation that was needed. And with government supporters mostly abstaining, the votes in favour of all four referendums was over 90 per cent.

Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/voters-batter-berlusconi-again-in-law-referendums-2297097.html

---

Wow, 94,1 per cent against nukes in Italy.

http://www.repubblica.it/static/speciale/2011/referendum/index.html

[Unvanguard]

12. Here's hoping they vote HIM down next. n/t

[Judi Lynn]

13. Berlusconi's vote defeat dubbed 'Italian Spring'

Berlusconi's vote defeat dubbed 'Italian Spring'
By VICTOR L. SIMPSON, Associated Press – 1 hour ago

ROME (AP) — They are calling it the Italian Spring.

After Silvio Berlusconi's long years in power, the electorate rose up and said they had enough, overturning laws passed by his government to revive nuclear energy, privatize the water supply and help him avoid prosecution.

The defeat was Berlusconi's second in as many weeks after losing key local races in his Milan power base and garbage-ridden Naples and raised the question: Would he go swiftly or try to hang on as others are doing?

After such a clear-cut result in the referendum vote, quite unusual for Italy, the country's leading newspaper Corriere della Sera concluded Italy was witnessing "The sunset of a long season."

"If the local elections were a slap in the face, this is a KO for the center-right," it said.

More:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jQc0ltwVMGqP4Ea8hCz490AaUP4A?docId=490e0b5c0a6c40b18efcc43e8bb77458

[lovuian]

14. next one to go is Sarkosky and then Merkel

the circle will be complete