Berlo flexes his muscles in Senate walkout

Monti govt at risk

Silvio Berlusconi’s party withdrew its support for Prime Minister Mario Monti on Thursday, raising the risk of a snap election, but President Giorgio Napolitano said he would work to avoid a crisis and there was no need for alarm.

The centre-right People of Freedom (PDL) party walked out of a Senate confidence vote on a package of economic measures on Thursday and said it would abstain in a separate confidence vote in the lower house later in the day after a senior minister criticised Berlusconi.

The PDL bitterly criticised Monti’s austerity measures.

The move raised the risk that Monti’s technocrat government could fall and an election be called a few weeks earlier than the expected date in early March.

But head of state Napolitano, who makes the final decision on whether to call an election, said there was no need for alarm on international markets and Italy’s institutions were strong. He said a turbulent end to the five-year legislature must be avoided so Monti’s government could complete its programme.

The respected former European Commissioner has restored confidence in Italy since he took over a year ago from the flamboyant and scandal-plagued Berlusconi.

“There are pre-electoral political tensions that even outside Italy can be understood without creating alarm about the institutional strength of the country,” Napolitano said.

Although the PDL moves did not directly threaten the survival of Monti government, the centre-left Democratic Party indicated it could ask Napolitano to dissolve parliament if Monti was not sure of the backing of the centre-right PDL.