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OO RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHRO #0167/01 0371606
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 061606Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY ROME
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9809
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHFL/AMCONSUL FLORENCE 2900
RUEHMIL/AMCONSUL MILAN 9239
RUEHNP/AMCONSUL NAPLES 3050

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 000167 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV IT
SUBJECT: ITALY TO HOLD ELECTIONS APRIL 13-14 
 
REF: A. ROME DAILY REPORT (5 FEB 2008) 
     ¶B. ROME 0133 
     ¶C. ROME 0118 
 
ROME 00000167  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) President Napolitano dissolved Italy's parliament 
February 6, triggering new elections set by caretaker PM 
Prodi and his Council of Ministers for April 13-14.  Prodi 
will remain caretaker PM until a new government is sworn in 
after the elections, probably in early-to-mid-May.  As 
caretaker, the Prodi government can conduct "normal 
business," though Prodi has indicated he intends to pursue a 
relatively broad definition of normal business.  END SUMMARY. 
 
NAPOLITANO DISSOLVES PARLIAMENT 
------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) Italian Senate President Franco Marini reported to 
President Giorgio Napolitano February 4 that he could neither 
put together a government nor find consensus on electoral 
reform (REF A), leading Napolitano to dissolve parliament. 
In accordance with the Italian constitution, Napolitano 
convoked the Presidents of the Senate and the Chamber of 
Deputies February 5 to discuss his decision, and dissolved 
parliament February 6  with a presidential decree jointly 
signed by caretaker PM Romano Prodi.  The now-dissolved 
parliamentary session is the second shortest in the history 
of the Italian Republic. 
 
COUNCIL OF MINISTERS SETS ELECTIONS APRIL 13-14 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶3. (SBU) After his meeting with the President, Prodi convened 
the Council of Ministers and signed a decree setting new 
elections for April 13-14.  The government may issue a 
legislative decree in the next few days permitting the 
Ministry of Interior to schedule administrative (city) 
elections on the same day.  The center left favors a 
simultaneous national and local election day since the center 
left generally performs better in local elections than the 
center right.  The center right, on the other hand, currently 
leads in the polling at the national level. 
 
 
LENGTHY GOVERNMENT FORMATION PROCESS 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶4. (U) It took 38 days for Prodi to form a government after 
the 2006 elections, and former PM Silvio Berlusconi required 
29 days in 2001.  Close election results tend to prolong 
Italy's government formation process. 
 
GOVERNMENT FORMATION--STEP BY STEP: 
 
Step 1:  Elections scheduled April 13-14. 
 
Step 2:  Parliament sworn in, within 20 days of election day. 
 
Step 3:  Napolitano consults political leaders; generally 
taking two days in the event of a clear winner and more if 
the results are not decisive. 
 
Step 4:  Napolitano appoints PM-Designate.  Practice is for 
the President to select the pre-designated leader of the 
coalition winning the elections. 
 
Step 5:  PM-Designate consults with coalition allies on 
Ministerial posts and government program. 
 
Step 6:  PM-Designate reports to Napolitano, presents list of 
ministers and accepts mandate. 
 
Step 7:  President swears in new government and Prodi ceases 
to be caretaker PM. 
 
Step 8:  New government must present government program and 
win a confidence vote in parliament within ten days of being 
sworn in. 
 
GOVERNMENT FORMATION--AN EXAMPLE 
 
The 2006 election cycle was exceptional because the new 
parliament simultaneously elected a new President of the 
Republic, which will not occur this year.  In 2001: 
 
05/13:  Berlusconi coalition wins elections. 
05/30:  Parliament sworn in. 
 
ROME 00000167  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
06/07:  President Ciampi consults political parties. 
06/09:  Ciampi asks Berlusconi to form government. 
06/10:  Berlusconi presents Ciampi with government list. 
06/11:  Ciampi swears in Berlusconi government. 
06/20:  Berlusconi government wins Chamber confidence vote. 
06/21:  Berlusconi government wins Senate confidence vote. 
 
PARLIAMENT AFTER THE ELECTIONS 
------------------------------ 
 
¶5. (U) Napolitano will shortly issue a decree establishing 
when the new parliament will be sworn in, though the swearing 
in must happen within 20 days of election day.  Political 
parties generally work quickly to establish parliamentary 
leadership since those leaders represent the parties during 
presidential consultations. 
 
ESTABLISHING SENATE LEADERSHIP--STEP BY STEP: 
 
Step 1: Election results certified. 
 
Step 2: Senate sworn in within 20 days of the elections. 
 
Step 3: Senate President elected within two days of swearing 
in. 
 
Step 4: Parliamentary groups (parties) must elect leadership 
within seven days of swearing in, though it generally happens 
more quickly. 
 
ESTABLISHING CHAMBER LEADERSHIP--STEP BY STEP: 
 
Step 1: Election results certified. 
 
Step 2: Chamber of Deputies sworn in within 20 days of 
elections.. 
 
Step 3: Chamber President elected.  There is no specific time 
frame, but it usually happens within three days of swearing 
in. 
 
Step 4: Parliamentary groups (parties) elect leadership, 
generally within four days of swearing in. 
 
PRODI AS CARETAKER PRIME MINISTER 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Prodi will remain caretaker PM until a new PM is 
sworn in after the elections.  Italian law is vague regarding 
the powers of a caretaker government.  By tradition, a 
caretaker government conducts only "normal business," though 
Prodi has indicated he intends to use a relatively broad 
definition of what constitutes normal business. 
Parliamentary leaders will meet later today to establish 
parliamentary priorities from now through the swearing in of 
the next parliament, as they also continue in a caretaker 
capacity. 
SPOGLI