L'anniversario

Surprising Few, Italy’s Government Collapses

By IAN FISHER and ELISABETTA POVOLEDO

New York Times
Published: January 25, 2008

Italy’s government finally fell Thursday, after Prime Minister Romano Prodi lost a confidence vote that made it clear that Italy’s leaders know they face a deep political and economic crisis but are venomously divided over how to solve it.
Emblematic of those divisions, during the debate one senator rushed in fury to the desk of a colleague, Stefano Cusumano, and taunted and apparently tried to attack him. Mr. Cusumano, 60, reportedly cried, then collapsed.
“If I had the chance, I would have spit in his face,” said the attacker, Senator Tommaso Barbato, who had to be held back by his colleagues. His action came after Mr. Cusumano changed his vote to support Mr. Prodi.
After the vote, which Mr. Prodi lost 161 to 156, he submitted his resignation, ending his 20 turbulent months in office and the 61st government here since World War II. (...) After the government fell briefly in February 2007, it collapsed fatally on Monday, after Mr. Prodi’s former justice minister, Clemente Mastella, withdrew the three votes he controlled in the Senate. That left Mr. Prodi without a majority there (...)