The View from Bologna

Immediately post-election defeat, Berlusconi took the unprecedented step of appearing on Ballarò, a political talk show on RAI 3, probably the most openly hostile of the three State channels. The ratings shot through the roof, highlighting once more one of the interesting paradoxes of the Berlusconi media 'monopoly'. For a man who owns three out of seven nationwide channels, and has a certain control of three of the others, he doesn't appear that much on TV, and when he does, people flock to it. Coming hot on the heels of an electoral defeat, though, his appearance may have boosted ratings for RAI 3, but it did little for the morale of his coalition.

And so, many left-leaning commentators licked their lips with anticipation for the end of Berlusconismo. And yet, as tenaciously as the newly transplanted follicles cling to his long gone hairline, Silvio Berlusconi has held on to power. He dissolved the government, and proceeded promptly to reform it, with ... the same coalition partners.

Dazzling us with the esoteric, his new choice of ministers has left most puzzling as to what parties have lost out, and who have won. While UDC leader Marco Follini, blamed by many for the whole crisis by removing his support from the government, was out (seemingly to concentrate on leading his party), his party actually gained in terms of ministers. Notable new appointments include the ex-finance minister Giulio Tremonti (Forza Italia), who was ousted from his position last year seemingly under pressure from coalition partners Alleanza Nazionale. Tremonti now holds 50% of the post deputy prime-minister. The other half being held by Gianfranco Fini, leader of Alleanza Nazionale, who also holds the post of Minister for Foreign Affairs. Prizes for his party as well, when the outgoing president of the Lazio region, Francesco Storace, who dramatically lost his position to the centre-left, was appointed Minister for Health. Perhaps not a prize for him, as it signalled the necessity to give up smoking (to give support to Italy's newly introduced smoking ban). In essence, the government remained much the same, along party lines.

Confused? Not half as much as the government's new programme seems to be.

With much fanfare the new government announced its key points for the final year of government: the relaunch of the economy (which has been the rallying cry of this government so long that it inspires the same confidence engendered by an anonymous technical support voice suggesting that one re-boot), defence of the family, and the development of the South.

As one wag put it, basing your politics on the above points is like basing them on a platform of 'viva la mamma!'. It's hard to disagree with, but at the same time without specifics* the electorate have every right to be sceptical.

At the same time, while the government supposedly turns its eye towards the south, one party who certainly didn't lose out was the Lega Nord, who kept their Minister for Reform, Calderoli, effectively copper-fastening their federalist view - which by its very nature, as far as an outsider can see, is directly opposed to excessive governmental interference in the regions, like the south. One of the headlines from La Padania, the newspaper associated with the Lega screamed: "Mai più “casse” per il Mezzogiorno" - or "Never again the "funds" for the south" (admittedly screamed is my emphasis - based on listening to representatives from the lega on their frequent media appearances).

None of this really matters though. A schizophrenic government can govern and be successful in elections, no matter how unpopular, as long as their opposition looks worse, as would seem to be the case in the UK currently.

The next year will be a battle of wills between the parties, not necessarily on specifics, but rather for the 'viva la mamma' vote, or the lesser of two evils.

And this monkey for one is not keen to predict any outcomes. Those follicles may look fragile, but they're the best that money can buy, and they've taken root.

* The first suggestion of a specific was the returned Tremonti's outlandish plan to sell off beaches to fund development of tourism in the south.