Hard cross words between Berlusconi and ally of Government
ROME (Reuters) – Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and his main coalition partner on Thursday staged a public confrontation, raising tensions that threaten the stability of the conservative Italian government.
In a bizarre de1000bate opened between the main posts of training people of Freedom (PDL) from Berlusconi, the rightist leader Gianfranco Fini, the party founder in 2009, raised a pile of criticism of the style and substance of the leadership of Berlusconi.
The public confrontation unprecedented in a party congress would affect the cohesion and stability of the Government as the third largest euro zone economy struggles to recover from its worst postwar recession.
Fini, a former leader of the conservative National Alliance and now president of the Chamber of Deputies, accused the media tycoon 73 years of stifling internal debate within the party and to give too much power to Northern League.
“I hate the camera I helped create,” said Fini, considered a possible successor to Berlusconi.
Before a mixture of cheers and boos from the ministers and deputies present, Fini attacked the Government”s hard line against immigration and said he plans to transfer powers to the regions have not been properly thought out or negotiated.
While an angry Berlusconi was interrupted on several occasions without success, Fini said that the success of the recent regional elections were due to the league, while the LDP had lost votes, especially in the industrial north.
“you miss me?”
As soon as he sat down Fini, Berlusconi, who had already led to the room, stood to rebut his rival of 58 years, rebutting his criticisms one by one, and said he had never raised properly in party meetings.
concluded by saying that if he wanted to Fini participate in future discussions of the party, should resign as president of the Chamber of Deputies.
In a visually stunning response, Fini stood up and walked to the podium where he spoke with Berlusconi pointing finger and shouting: “What are you saying? … I throw ?”.
Fini said after he failed to resign as president of the Chamber of Deputies and his supporters said they would not abandon PDL.
The leader of the opposition center, Pierluigi Bersani, described the incident as “an ugly spectacle” that reflected the deep political divisions.
“We will have no reforms of any kind while this government is in power,” said Bersani told reporters.
Tensions between Berlusconi and Fini have grown since the rise of the Northern League in regional elections last month moved the balance of power in the government coalition.
(Reporting by Gavin Jones, editing by Raquel Castillo in Madrid Writing, editing by Juan Spanish Jose Lagorio)