So no thread on the Italian elections??

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Seems like Prodi's margin is wide enough to secure the win. But I wouldn't be surprised to see this degenerate into a Bush-Gore like debacle...

― Le Baaderonixx de Benedict Canyon (baaderonixx), Monday, 10 April 2006 14:30 (twenty years ago)

I was idly waiting on the results.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 10 April 2006 14:34 (twenty years ago)

If the left wins, will Berlusconi finally be sued? Or do the laws he changed allow him immunity even when he's not PM?

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Monday, 10 April 2006 14:36 (twenty years ago)

Am I the only person on board to have voted? Prodi will win (thank God) because Milan have sucked in recent weeks.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 10 April 2006 14:36 (twenty years ago)

A Prodi win would hilariously enough be great news for Murdoch, as that means he can finally expand into Italy (and more specifically Italian football coverage) without having to compete with Silvio changing the business laws to keep him out.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 10 April 2006 14:37 (twenty years ago)

And, according to exit polls, Prodi it is.

― Momus (Momus), Monday, 10 April 2006 15:03 (twenty years ago)

Prodi will win (thank God) because Milan have sucked in recent weeks

So Berlusconi would've had a better chance had Milan have been playing well?

― Daniel Giraffe (Daniel Giraffe), Monday, 10 April 2006 15:08 (twenty years ago)

Wow - good news, Momus - I think. I don't want naively to exaggerate the joy, but B. is a bad fellow, I think, and his defeat is very desirable.

― the bellefox, Monday, 10 April 2006 15:10 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, Berlusconi's election victories tend to come when Milan are on a run of good form: the theory amongst certain Italians being that if he can run one winning "team", he can run another one (ie, an entire fucking country). Most notably was when they won the Milan derby 5-0 against Inter the week before one election victory. Although a 4-1 win against Chievo ain't shoddy.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 10 April 2006 15:13 (twenty years ago)

who's the dude who owns the tv network there??

― +++++, Monday, 10 April 2006 15:14 (twenty years ago)

Berlusconi.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 10 April 2006 15:15 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, he owns the three commercial networks, and as head of state he gets to censor what goes out on the three nationally owned networks. It's a bad, bad state of affairs.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 10 April 2006 15:17 (twenty years ago)

I _do_ worry that L'Unione is going to end up as a group of people trying to bring 60s policies to a modern day environment (Communists? In 2005?), but the honeymoon period for Prodi is going to be _long_.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 10 April 2006 15:18 (twenty years ago)

Come on Prodi has been PM before, it's not a big leap into the unknown.

― Le Baaderonixx de Benedict Canyon (baaderonixx), Monday, 10 April 2006 15:21 (twenty years ago)

Oh, no, I agree completely. Prodi is basically what Italy needs right now: a steady pair of hands who's going to reduce the insanity that we've had for the past minute. He's basically a political antacid. I just worry that L'Unione is much more diverse than Olive Branch (the old left-wing coalition), and that _may_ cause problems three, four, five years down the line.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 10 April 2006 15:25 (twenty years ago)

they had some hilarious posters up when i was there 2 summers ago - all the female candidates looked like susan lucci!!

― ++++++, Monday, 10 April 2006 15:26 (twenty years ago)

Okay, bad guy loses. Can we talk about Peru now?

― someone let this mitya out! (mitya), Monday, 10 April 2006 15:53 (twenty years ago)

My Italian friends are not convinced yet. The exit polls have been wrong before and the thought of B gloating over that is too much for them to bear, so they are holding off on the champagne until he concedes.

Or the Pinot Grigio, whatever.

― Ned T.Rifle (nedtrifle), Monday, 10 April 2006 17:34 (twenty years ago)

http://www.volpin.it/photogallery/berlusconi/TN_berlusconi_008.JPG
"Sono nella merda"

― Ned T.Rifle (nedtrifle), Monday, 10 April 2006 17:41 (twenty years ago)

Channel 4 news reported, a couple hours ago, that the latest polls showed Berlusconi with a slim lead--with 44% reporting.

They also reported that Berlusconi, a couple of days ago, claimed--on television--that all those who vote for the left are "dickheads" (coglioni)!

― gooblar (gooblar), Monday, 10 April 2006 19:41 (twenty years ago)

Bookies still go with Prodi as next prime minister though, 3/5 for he, 5/2 for Silvio.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 10 April 2006 19:44 (twenty years ago)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4894584.stm

oh shit...

― Ned T.Rifle (nedtrifle), Monday, 10 April 2006 20:45 (twenty years ago)

this is crazy

― Tracey Hand (tracerhand), Monday, 10 April 2006 20:56 (twenty years ago)

http://www.corriere.it/Primo_Piano/Politica/2006/Notizie/Politiche2006/images/EDSTR_doppia_01.gif

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 10 April 2006 20:56 (twenty years ago)

i have to think any confusion here gives berlusconi an advantage

― Tracey Hand (tracerhand), Monday, 10 April 2006 20:58 (twenty years ago)

Corriere della Serra is calling the Camera for Berlusconi but the Senato for Prodi.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 10 April 2006 20:58 (twenty years ago)

Sky Italia calling both for Prodi, RAI calling the Senate for Prodi and the Camera for Silvio.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 10 April 2006 21:20 (twenty years ago)

If the left wins, will Berlusconi finally be sued? Or do the laws he changed allow him immunity even when he's not PM?

It's not that he hasn't been prosecuted, or even that he hasn't been found guilty, it's the strange legal system in Italy that says if a case has been rumbling on for long enough then it just gets closed and because he has a bottomless pit of billions of Euros he just appeals and appeals and appeals and appeals and the slow wheels of Italian justice never quite manage to get him sent down.

― Teh HoBBler (the pirate king), Monday, 10 April 2006 21:27 (twenty years ago)

I think we can say with 95% accuracy now that it's gonna be PM Prodi.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 10 April 2006 23:03 (twenty years ago)

Italy's Bush-Gore moment. Why CdS is now showing Berlusconi has the Camera.

― someone let this mitya out! (mitya), Monday, 10 April 2006 23:07 (twenty years ago)

49.8 percent of the vote plays 49.7. Looks like it all acomes down to one district in Florida.

― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 00:50 (twenty years ago)

Can we get a... REEE-COUNT!

― Le Baaderonixx de Benedict Canyon (baaderonixx), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 07:31 (twenty years ago)

Prodi it appears has not got the senate but will be chosen by Ciampi. Voter apathy, it could happen to you...

― Kv_nol (Kv_nol), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 07:37 (twenty years ago)

well 86pc is a pretty good turnout, I'd say!

― Le Baaderonixx de Benedict Canyon (baaderonixx), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 08:07 (twenty years ago)

I forgot to vote :(

― Markelby (Mark C), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 08:12 (twenty years ago)

Oh no sorry, I didn't mean lack of numbers (which were incredible in this day and age!) more the idea that for all the talk of removing B the opposition never really got that much going for it grassroots and campaigning wise. From what I could tell there seemed to be a lot of "well they're sick of him. They'll vote him out..." which naturally enough didn't work that well!

This is all from the outside mind! Who knows what I missed.

― Kv_nol (Kv_nol), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 08:34 (twenty years ago)

Yes, I know. I actually still cannot believe that the results are so close, when the left should have won by a landslide. But, hey, Bush & Kerry to thread...

― Le Baaderonixx de Benedict Canyon (baaderonixx), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 09:04 (twenty years ago)

Oh, it totally is Bush and Kerry, Campania and Lazio edition. Asshole vs guy with no charisma whatsoever. The right guy won this time though, except, y'know, let's have eighteen weeks of investigations and allegations of fraud.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 10:02 (twenty years ago)

If Berlusconi wins this, I'm blaming Markelby.

In other news, the Tractor has been caught at last. I do wonder what could have been stirring in the depths to make this happen at the same time as the election.

― Mädchen (Madchen), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 10:38 (twenty years ago)

Surely the first time a Prodi has been in charge of Italy?

― JohnFoxxsJuno (JohnFoxxsJuno), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 10:40 (twenty years ago)

Looks like Prodi with both houses, just. B still denying it though, naturally. Too close for comfort.

It looks like the ex-pat vote might have swung it for Prodi in senate - wasn't this the opposite effect B had been hoping for?

― Ned T.RIfle II (Ned T.Rifle II), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 12:04 (twenty years ago)

It's interesting, I think it works two ways: a) the majority of Italian ex-pats are Sicilian, a traditionally safe Berlusconi electorate, but b) ex-pats don't pay tax, so there's no real incentive for them to vote for the right.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 12:19 (twenty years ago)

xpost
I think The Tractor prefers The Phantom as his nom de plume these days. Although I suspect he'll need a new one now.

― Ned T.RIfle II (Ned T.Rifle II), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 12:21 (twenty years ago)

the majority of Italian ex-pats are Sicilian

I look down my fine, patrician, aquiline Venetian nose at such low-born types, sir!

― Markelby (Mark C), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 12:32 (twenty years ago)

Are the majority of Italian ex-pats Sicilian? I didn't know that. I in the boozer with an Italian last night!

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 12:35 (twenty years ago)

I look down my fine, patrician, aquiline Venetian nose at such low-born types, sir!

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 12:43 (twenty years ago)

http://www.milioni.com/Polenta/img/polenta.gif

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 12:44 (twenty years ago)

The largest Sicilian population in Europe, outside of Sicily, is in ... Woking.

― Mädchen (Madchen), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 12:53 (twenty years ago)

Hah, I assumed it would have been St Albans or Bedford.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 12:58 (twenty years ago)

two weeks pass...

bye bye burly

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Saturday, 29 April 2006 15:31 (twenty years ago)

thank fuck for that

― Teh HoBBler (the pirate king), Saturday, 29 April 2006 16:29 (twenty years ago)

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