Prodi resigns over foreign policy defeat in senate

ITALIAN Prime Minister Romano Prodi resigned yesterday after nine months in office following an embarrassing senate defeat by his centre-left government on foreign policy matters, including Italy’s military mission in Afghanistan.

Prodi aides did not rule out the possibility that President Giorgio Napolitano would ask Prodi to try to form a new government, and from first discussions among some allies, support for another Prodi government seemed to be building.

“We are ready to reconfirm our full faith in the Prodi government,” said Dario Franceschini, a leader of the Olive Tree, the largest grouping in Mr Prodi’s coalition.