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Romano Prodi
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===2008 crisis and resignation=== {{see also|2008 Italian political crisis}} In early January 2008, [[Italian Minister of Justice|Justice Minister]] and [[Union of Democrats for Europe]]'s leader [[Clemente Mastella]] resigned after his wife Sandra Lonardo was put under house arrest for [[political corruption|corruption]] charges. With three Senators, UDEUR was instrumental in ensuring a narrow centre-left majority in the Italian Senate.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7194342.stm|publisher=BBC News |title=Italy's ruling coalition weakened|date=17 January 2008|access-date=24 January 2008}}</ref> After first promising to support the government, he later retracted this support, and his party followed, in part also due to pressure from the [[Holy See|Vatican]], for which the government's proposed laws in regards to [[registered partnership]]s of same-sex couples, and other liberal reforms were objectionable.<ref name="TIME">{{cite web | url = http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1706790,00.html?xid=rss-world | title = How An Italian Government Falls | publisher = [[Time (magazine)|TIME]] | author = Jeff Israely | date = 24 January 2008 | access-date = 27 January 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080129005649/http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0%2C8599%2C1706790%2C00.html?xid=rss-world | archive-date = 29 January 2008 | url-status = dead | df = dmy-all }}</ref> Mastella also cited lack of solidarity from the majority parties after the arrest of his wife, and declared that his party would vote against the government bills since then. The decision of former Minister of Justice Mastella arrived a few days after the confirmation of the [[Constitutional Court of Italy|Constitutional Court]] which confirmed the [[Referendum in Italy|referendum]] to modify the electoral system.<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/bondsNews/idUSL1685828620080116 "Italian court okays referendum on election law"] Reuters, 16 January 2008</ref> As stated many times by Minister Mastella, if the referendum had been confirmed, it would lead directly to the fall of the government<ref>[http://www.corriere.it/Primo_Piano/Politica/2007/04_Aprile/10/legge_elettorale_mastella_referendum.shtml "Legge elettorale, Mastella minaccia la crisi"] ''Corriere della Sera'', 10 April 2007</ref><ref>[http://www.lastampa.it/redazione/cmsSezioni/politica/200704articoli/20302girata.asp "Mastella: Se c'Γ¨ referendum si rischia la crisi di governo"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070828192601/http://www.lastampa.it/redazione/cmsSezioni/politica/200704articoli/20302girata.asp |date=28 August 2007 }} ''La Stampa'', 10 April 2007</ref> and it happened.<br /> The fall of the government would disrupt a pending election-law referendum that, if passed, would make it harder for small parties like Mastella's to gain seats in parliament.<ref> [https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aEv_XkZP2lg0&refer=home "Prodi Likely to Quit, Prompt Vote or Election Reform"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100613163056/http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087 |date=13 June 2010 }} Bloomberg.com</ref> The UDEUR defection forced caused Prodi to ask for a confidence vote in both Chambers: he won a clear majority in the Chamber of Deputies on 23 January,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7205578.stm|publisher=BBC News |title=Embattled Italy PM backed by MPs|date=23 January 2008|access-date=24 January 2008}}</ref> but was defeated 156 to 161 (with 1 abstention)<ref>{{in lang|it}} [http://it.wikinews.org/wiki/Crisi_di_governo:_il_Senato_sfiducia_Prodi Crisi di governo: il Senato sfiducia Prodi β Wikinotizie]. It.wikinews.org. Retrieved on 24 August 2013.</ref> in the Senate the next day. He therefore tendered his resignation as prime minister to President [[Giorgio Napolitano]], who accepted it and appointed the President of the Senate, [[Franco Marini]], with the task of evaluating possibilities for forming interim government to implement electoral reforms prior to holding elections. Marini, after consultation with all major political forces, acknowledged the impossibility of doing so on 5 February, forcing Napolitano to announce the end of the legislature.<ref name="Ansa scioglimento">{{cite web|url=http://www.ansa.it/opencms/export/site/visualizza_fdg.html_12342748.html|title=Domani Lo Scioglimento Delle Camere |publisher=[[Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata|Ansa]]|date=5 February 2008|access-date=5 February 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080204214404/http://www.ansa.it/opencms/export/site/visualizza_fdg.html_12342748.html|archive-date=4 February 2008|language=it}}</ref> Prodi said that he would not seek to lead a new government and snap election were called.<ref>Andrew Davis and Steve Scherer, [https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a773AGctFECE&refer=home "Prodi Government Near Collapse After Key Ally Defects (Update2)"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100613163056/http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087 |date=13 June 2010 }}, Bloomberg.com, 22 January 2008.</ref> In the [[2008 Italian general election|election]] that followed in April 2008, Berlusconi's centre-right [[The People of Freedom]] and allies defeated the [[Democratic Party (Italy)|Democratic Party]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7347618.stm |title=Berlusconi declares election win |publisher=BBC News |date=14 April 2008}}</ref>
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