(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – One fifth of people in Italy say they now have a worse opinion of Silvio Berlusconi following recent news about his possible divorce, according to a poll by IPR Marketing published in La Repubblica. 20 per cent of respondents share this view, while 66 per cent say their view of the head of government has not changed.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – One fifth of people in Italy say they now have a worse opinion of Silvio Berlusconi following recent news about his possible divorce, according to a poll by IPR Marketing published in La Repubblica. 20 per cent of respondents share this view, while 66 per cent say their view of the head of government has not changed.
Italian voters renewed the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate in April 2008. Final results gave Berlusconi’s right-wing coalition—encompassing the Italian People of Freedom Party (PdL), the Northern League (LN), and the Movement for Autonomy (MPA)—344 seats in the lower house, and 174 seats in the upper house. The victory put an end to the government of the centre-left Union (Unione), headed by Romano Prodi.
Berlusconi was sworn in as the country’s new head of government in May 2008. He had previously served as prime minister from May 1994 to January 1995, and from June 2001 to May 2006.
Earlier this month, Veronica Lario—who has been married to Berlusconi for the past 19 years—said she would seek to divorce him after suggesting that he is "a man who frequents minors." Berlusconi has denied the allegations.
On May 9, Berlusconi said on television that his popularity has remained intact despite the divorce row, declaring, "I expected a fall in my approval ratings, but this media campaign based on a heap of falsities that has erupted in recent days has been read with intelligence by Italians."
Polling Data
Following the news related to his possible divorce, do you have a better or worse opinion of Silvio Berlusconi?
|
Better
|
13%
|
|
Did not change
|
66%
|
|
Worse
|
20%
|
|
Not sure
|
1%
|
Source: IPR Marketing / La Repubblica
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 900 Italian adults, conducted on May 6, 2009. No margin of error was provided.
