Monday, May 30, 2011

Berlusconi faces the specter of defeat on home soil

It was at Milan, it all started for Silvio Berlusconi: his birth in 1936, building his empire in construction and in the media around the 80s, launching his political party, Forza Italia with what he s is slender, in 1994, the conquest of Italy. Is that everything could start to finish? The second round of voting in municipal elections in the Lombard capital, Sunday 29 and Monday, May 30, could spell the beginning of the end for the "Cavaliere" accustomed to upsets most compromised.

"There will be no crisis, even if I lose," was careful to specify, Friday, May 27, the Prime Minister. The mere fact that defeat is already talking about a revolution. Its potential lady-killer, called Giuliano Pisapia. 62, renowned criminal lawyer, the allure is shy smile, he emerged winner of the first round by winning 48% of the vote against the outgoing mayor, Letizia Moratti (41.6%), supported by the People of the freedom, the party of Mr Berlusconi and the Northern League.

After a violent campaign in which his opponents have tried to highlight the old stories about his alleged ties to Mr. Pisapia with the extreme left terrorism, the line ran the economic capital of Italy for 20 years and then had to to face facts: she fell on a bone. Giuliano Pisapia as former MP related Refoundation Communist training heiress of Italian Communist Party, has distinguished itself from its leftist label.

With a calm and moderate speech, he drew him to the lifeblood of the city: young people, some employers, church and the good bourgeois Milanese. In the first round, he came out ahead in the nine districts of the city, the most popular in the smartest. This positioning has forced opponents to play in front overthrown.

The LDP, which was renamed the "party of love" by Silvio Berlusconi, has stepped up attacks the most hateful. Accusing Mr. Pisapia want to cover the "city of mosques" or being the "spokesman of Al Qaeda" and "social centers", he missed his target. All that the LDP hawks account - Ministers Ignazio La Russa and Daniela Santanché - have been fielded by Silvio Berlusconi, who wanted to make this election a national test.

Targeting judges before whom he now spends all his Monday morning in the trial Mills (corruption control) and Mediatrade (tax evasion) and pending the opening of the trial "Rubygate," Mr Berlusconi and Ms Moratti have forgotten the specific problems of the city: the future World Expo 2015 and the loss of competitiveness of the Lombard capital in the ranking of European cities.

Result: the Northern League who had to play the moderate, confusing the electorate accustomed to more than bluster. The second round campaign has changed things a bit. The straight talk was given to the problems of the city. Moratti playing all out promised voters to pass the sponge on fines and the Northern League, to host a few departments.

Silvio Berlusconi has advised its Taliban to be discreet and he himself was careful to show in Milan, choosing to go to Naples where plays another important election. Will this be enough there to save the day? Observers doubt it as the dynamic campaign seems in favor of Mr. Pisapia. Despite his precautions, Mr.

Berlusconi will not be exempt from criticism in case of defeat of his candidate. It was he who chose the tone and themes of his campaign. Already, activists of the Northern League, fearing to go down with his ally, questioned more openly about the benefits of supporting the government with a Prime Minister who no longer earn his camp.

"Milan has always been the political laboratory of Italy, says journalist and connoisseur of political Lombard, Gad Lerner. Here were born fascism, craxisme, Tangentopoli, Berlusconi and the Northern League. A defeat Prime Minister Milan, would have an impact that goes far beyond Lombardy.

Response, Monday, May 30 starting at 15 hours. Philippe Ridet

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