Giorgio Napolitano news stories on Newser

Berlusconi's Party Backs Economist as New PM

Polly Davis Doig — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 12:31:11 CST

Silvio Berlusconi's conservative party is backing economist Mario Monti to put together a new coalition, leaving the man they call "professor" some outlandish shoes to fill and Italy's towering financial crisis to dig out of. And there's a catch: Monti's got to do it all ASAP, with the call for...

Berlusconi: Trials 'Laughable, Absurd'

Rob Quinn — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 05:36:00 CDT

A defiant Silvio Berlusconi vowed yesterday to rule with "even more grit" despite looming criminal trials on corruption charges. The trials "are false, laughable, absurd,” scoffed the Italian prime minister, who has been stripped of his immunity from prosecution. “I will defend myself in the courtroom and make my accusers...

Obama Arrives in Italy for G8

Jason Farago — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 05:27:54 CDT

President Obama arrived this morning in Rome ahead of his first G8 summit. Obama is meeting privately with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano and PM Silvio Berlusconi before traveling to L'Aquila, the earthquake-ravaged town that is hosting the international confab. The coming three days' talks will focus on climate change, foreign...

Italy Ready for Snap Poll After Talks Fail

Jason Farago — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 10:45:00 CST

Italy will turn to a snap election in April to form a new government after 4 days of negotiations led by the speaker of the Senate failed to form an interim coalition. Parliament will be dissolved, and polls suggest that Silvio Berlusconi will win a third term as prime minister,...

Italy Headed for Caretaker Government

Jason Farago — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 10:33:00 CST

Italy's president has asked Senate speaker Franco Marini to form an interim government in a last-ditch effort to reform election laws ahead of a snap poll, reports the BBC. Marini was invited to head a temporary administration to change Italy's crippling voting system, which privileges small parties and has led...

Berlusconi Eyes 3rd Term as Prime Minister

Jason Farago — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 09:52:09 CST

Italy's president will begin crisis talks tonight with top politicians after last night's resignation of PM Romano Prodi. While a technocrat will probably take the helm of the country for a few months, Silvio Berlusconi is waiting in the wings, and the richest man in Italy has his sights set...

Italian Govt. on Brink of Collapse

Jason Farago — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 10:48:00 CST

The Italian government looks set to collapse after a key ally unexpectedly withdrew his support from Romano Prodi's coalition yesterday. The PM will face a no-confidence vote tomorrow, and if he loses, the president will have to decide whether to give Prodi another mandate or dissolve parliament and call early...

Italy Depressed by News Story Calling Italy Depressed

Jane Yager — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 19:12:31 CST

In a self-referential moment, the New York Times interviews its own reporter, Ian Fisher, about the nationwide soul-searching set off in Italy by Fisher's Dec. 13 article that depicts Italians as wallowing in a collective funk. Fisher's description of a dispirited national mood has prompted an impassioned response from all...

Naples Reeks as Garbage Dumps, Landfills Close

Dustin Lushing — Thu, 31 May 2007 06:31:01 CDT

Mounds of smelly garbage are piling up in the streets of Naples, as a shortage of places to dump it has reached a crisis: the last landfill in Naples closed Saturday. Italian President Giorgio Napolitano is pleading with politicians and citizens to save the the country's image, the Times reports.