Italy’s Prodi prepares government

ROME – Boosted by the election of his candidate for state president, incoming Prime Minister Romano Prodi yesterday turned his attention to preparing a government to tackle Italy’s economic woes and heal political divisions.

“Now let’s get down to work,” he told reporters who asked him yesterday about the make-up of his government. The election on Wednesday of Giorgio Napolitano, an 80-year-old life senator and former communist, cleared the way for a rapid chain of events that should see the government assume full power by the end of next week.Napolitano’s victory in the third ballot showed that Prodi has the political stature to keep his troops in line in parliament, which will be essential in the future as his tries to govern with a slim majority.With credit rating agencies pushing for prompt action to tackle the country’s struggling economy and wayward public finances, Prodi will have his work cut out for him.Prodi’s coalition, ranging from communists to centrist Roman Catholics, won last month’s election by one of the smallest margins in modern Italian history.Outgoing Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who waited three weeks before conceding defeat, on Thursday vowed that the opposition would give Prodi “no honeymoon period”.He told reporters: “We will present an opposition without pity.”Prodi, a former European Commission president, has stressed he wanted to give the world and markets a sign of stability by getting down to business quickly.After Napolitano’s election Prodi outlined a high-speed schedule to have his government sworn in by next Wednesday.Napolitano will be sworn in on Monday afternoon and then he can formally give Prodi the mandate.Prodi suggested yesterday that his cabinet list had for the most part already been decided.”It’s useless for me to reveal it.For now I have to keep it in my pocket,” he said.- Nampa-ReutersThe election on Wednesday of Giorgio Napolitano, an 80-year-old life senator and former communist, cleared the way for a rapid chain of events that should see the government assume full power by the end of next week.Napolitano’s victory in the third ballot showed that Prodi has the political stature to keep his troops in line in parliament, which will be essential in the future as his tries to govern with a slim majority.With credit rating agencies pushing for prompt action to tackle the country’s struggling economy and wayward public finances, Prodi will have his work cut out for him.Prodi’s coalition, ranging from communists to centrist Roman Catholics, won last month’s election by one of the smallest margins in modern Italian history.Outgoing Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who waited three weeks before conceding defeat, on Thursday vowed that the opposition would give Prodi “no honeymoon period”.He told reporters: “We will present an opposition without pity.”Prodi, a former European Commission president, has stressed he wanted to give the world and markets a sign of stability by getting down to business quickly.After Napolitano’s election Prodi outlined a high-speed schedule to have his government sworn in by next Wednesday.Napolitano will be sworn in on Monday afternoon and then he can formally give Prodi the mandate.Prodi suggested yesterday that his cabinet list had for the most part already been decided.”It’s useless for me to reveal it.For now I have to keep it in my pocket,” he said.- Nampa-Reuters