Today, January 24, we remember one of the many government crises experienced throughout our republican history. During the second mandate of Romano Prodi, the government found itself faced with two crisis: the first, in February 2007, was resolved with the renewal of confidence after the referral to the Chambers by President Giorgio Napolitano; the second, however, occurred in January 2008, turned out fatal for the executive.
The 24 January 2008, Romano Prodi, Prime Minister in office since 17 May 2006 (Prodi II Government), he presented himself to the Senate to obtain confidence, a step that will mark the end of his mandate. In fact, that day sixteen years ago, Prodi did not receive the vote of confidence at Palazzo Madama. In that dramatic session, the Ulivo leader received 156 votes in favour, 161 against and 1 abstention out of a total of 319 voters.
The Udeur votes were decisive
Prodi's fate was decided by the votes against of two of the three UDEUR senators, Clement Mastella (Minister of Justice, whose resignation triggered the crisis) e Thomas Barbato, in addition to the senators Lamberto Dini (Liberal Democrats), Domenico Fisichella (independent), Franco Turigliatto (Critical Left), Sergio De Gregorio (Italians in the World). Senator Giuseppe Scalera (Liberal Democrats) abstained. It should be noted that, unlike current practice, abstention in the Senate at that time was considered a vote against.
The climb to the Colle and the resignation
After the lack of trust, on the same day, Prodi went up to the Quirinale for submit your resignation to Giorgio Napolitano, President of the Republic at the time. The resignation was accepted.
Subsequently, on January 30, Napolitano assigned an "exploratory" assignment to Franco Marini, president of the Senate. Marini, however, was unable to form a new government and so on 6 February the Head of State decreed the dissolution of the Chambers.
During the following months of political agony, the fallen government continued to administer only current affairs, before giving way to a new executive led by Silvio Berlusconi, who officially took office on 8 May 2008.
Farewell to politics
After the end of his second mandate, on 9 March 2008, during the electoral campaign for the early political elections, Prodi declared in an interview "of having finished with Italian politics and perhaps with politics in general."
After the elections, left the presidency of the Democratic Party (PD), in a decision already communicated to the secretary Veltroni in March and made known on 16 April 2008.
