Italian deputy leader threatens to quit

An ally of Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi proposed pulling his party out of the government, reports said today, in a new blow for the conservative coalition after a stinging defeat in regional elections.

Deputy Premier Marco Follini and his small UDC party had urged Berlusconi to step down and form a fresh government immediately – a technique often used by premiers in Italy to strengthen ruling coalitions.

Since that didn’t happen, “my proposal is to withdraw our delegation from the government,” Follini said at a party meeting, quoted by the Apcom news agency. The centrist UDC has three ministers in the government.

Follini said his party would still support Berlusconi in parliament – meaning the government could likely survive the blow.

Berlusconi, elected in 2001, is the longest-serving premier in post-war Italy. General elections are just a year away, and Berlusconi is under increasing pressure from his allies.

A day earlier, Gianfranco Fini – another deputy premier and also foreign minister – demanded that the government submit its platform to parliament for a confidence vote. A vote of no confidence would force Berlusconi to resign and topple the government.

In an April 3-4 regional vote, widely seen as an important test of popularity for the government, Berlusconi’s coalition lost 11 of the 13 regions that were up for grabs. Going into the election, the conservatives held eight regions, compared to five controlled by the opposition.