(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Silvio Berlusconi’s coalition of right-leaning parties maintains a significant level of public support in Italy, according to a poll by Crespi Ricerche. 53.7 per cent of respondents would vote for the Italian People of Freedom Party (PdL), the Northern League (LN), or the Autonomy in the next legislative election, down two points since April.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Silvio Berlusconi’s coalition of right-leaning parties maintains a significant level of public support in Italy, according to a poll by Crespi Ricerche. 53.7 per cent of respondents would vote for the Italian People of Freedom Party (PdL), the Northern League (LN), or the Autonomy in the next legislative election, down two points since April.
The centre-left alliance encompassing the Democratic Party (PD), Italy of Values (Lista di Pietro) and the Pannella Bonino List is second with 34.2 per cent, up three points in a month. Support is lower for Union of the Centre, the Left Refoundation (RpS), and Left and Freedom (SeL).
Italian voters renewed the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate in April 2008. Final results gave Berlusconi’s right-wing coalition 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. In February, the PD elected Dario Franceschini as its new leader.
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." Lario was referring to Berlusconi’s attendance to the birthday celebrations of 18-year-old aspiring actress Noemi Letizia, who confirmed the prime minister’s presence that day, and who received a gold and diamond necklace as a present from him.
On May 23, Franceschini urged the prime minister to clarify the nature of his relationship with Letizia after the woman’s former boyfriend assured to the media that her relationship with Berlusconi dates back to October 2008—which the prime minister has denied.
The opposition leader stated: "A politician has a duty to reply and tell the truth. It is not possible that the press can continue to demonstrate that he has lied and he cannot avoid answering questions. There is not a free country in the world where a politician would not have answered these questions because the key aspect of politics is transparency."
Yesterday, Berlusconi declared: "I have answered the only question that anyone has the right to ask me: ‘Prime minister, have you had a, let’s say, spicy, or more than spicy, relationship with an underage girl?’ Absolutely not."
Polling Data
If the national political election were held today, which party would you vote for?
|
|
May 2009 |
Apr. 2009 |
|
Italian People of Freedom Party (PdL) / |
53.7% |
55.7% |
|
Democratic Party (PD) / |
34.2% |
31.2% |
|
Union of the Centre |
6.0% |
5.0% |
|
Left Refoundation (RpS) |
3.2% |
4.2% |
|
Left and Freedom (SeL) |
2.4% |
2.5% |
|
Other parties |
0.5% |
1.4% |
Source: Crespi Ricerche
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,000 Italian adults, conducted on May 18 and May 19, 2009. Margin of error is 3 per cent.
