(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Most people in Italy say they have no confidence in their country’s prime minister, according to a poll by IPR Marketing published in La Repubblica. 54 per cent of respondents distrust Silvio Berlusconi, down one point since May.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Most people in Italy say they have no confidence in their country’s prime minister, according to a poll by IPR Marketing published in La Repubblica. 54 per cent of respondents distrust Silvio Berlusconi, down one point since May.
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.
In March 2009, the National Alliance (AN)—a political party with fascist roots—was officially dissolved and merged with Berlusconi’s PdL. The AN has been a steady supporter of the prime minister and was instrumental in Berlusconi’s latest electoral victory. AN leader Gianfranco Fini is the speaker of the Chamber of Deputies.
On Jul. 8, Berlusconi said he will resign if his government loses a series of confidence votes on his proposed budget—which calls for severe cuts—declaring, "The decision to call the confidence vote on the budget has been an act of courage. If we don’t win, we go home."
Polling Data
Do you have confidence in Silvio Berlusconi?
|
|
Jun. 2010
|
May 2010
|
Apr. 2010
|
|
Yes
|
41%
|
41%
|
44%
|
|
No
|
54%
|
55%
|
54%
|
Source: IPR Marketing / La Repubblica
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,000 Italian adults, conducted on Jun. 15 and Jun. 16, 2010. No margin of error was provided.
