Italian president asks leftist Bersani to form government
With need to act on economy, Bersani may go back on vow not to work with Berlusconi
Leftist leader Pier Luigi Bersani got the formal go-ahead yesterday to try to form Italy's next government even though his coalition failed to win an overall majority in parliament in elections last month.
"I have asked Bersani to verify whether he has the parliamentary support required to form a new government. He will refer back to me as soon as possible," President Giorgio Napolitano said after two days of consultations with political leaders.
Bersani's centre-left narrowly won the elections but failed to secure a majority in the upper house. Any new government needs a majority in both houses.
The divisions between political parties over how to proceed have revived fears Italy could plunge back into the euro zone crisis, just as a bitter stand-off over a bailout for Cyprus intensifies.
Should Bersani fail, the reins may be handed to a technocratic government similar to the outgoing one of Prime Minister Mario Monti, or a grand coalition between left and right, or some combination of the two but without Bersani.
All parties agree at least that there are urgent economic issues to be dealt with as Italy endures its longest recession in two decades, with many ordinary Italians struggling to make ends meet.