TARGET OF OPPORTUNITY:

Berlusconi is serving Italy a brand-new dish: Stability (Jason Horowitz, August 09, 2004, NY Times)

[M]any analysts say that Berlusconi's present stint, the longest in Italy's postwar era, represents in itself the greatest change and contribution to a country marred by ceaseless government turnover. The prime minister's uncanny survival instincts and political acumen have granted Italy a taste of relative stability.

"Stability is an important value," said Roberto D'Alimonte, a professor of political science at the University of Florence. "And there is some virtue to the chance of voting on an incumbent prime minister. It increases accountability."

But critics refused to give high grades for attendance alone. They cast Berlusconi as a disappointing student, too often distracted from his homework by poorly behaving friends and a host of extracurricular activities. He even had to resort to last-minute cramming to squeak through to summer recess.

Berlusconi indeed seemed anxious to get to summer break. After skillfully quashing lingering gripes in his coalition and using risky confidence votes to push through pension and budget reforms, he told reporters, "Now I can go on vacation in peace."

A successful al Qaeda attack would almost certainly bring him down, so expect one.

Posted by Orrin Judd at August 9, 2004 11:28 AM