April 23, 2005
NOW HOW DO THE DECK CHAIRS LOOK?:
Berlusconi Returns to Power with New Italian Govt (Crispian Balmer, 4/23/05, Reuters)
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi resolved a bruising row with his coalition partners on Saturday and named a new government tasked with reviving the sluggish economy ahead of next year's general elections.The cabinet will be sworn into office later on Saturday and will include new health, industry and communications ministers.
It will also mark a return to frontline politics for Berlusconi's long time ally, Giulio Tremonti, who was named deputy prime minister just 10 months after being ousted as economy minister during ferocious coalition feuding. [...]
Berlusconi's political woes have grown out of Italy's economic troubles. Latest data suggests the economy fell into recession in the first quarter of 2005, the trade deficit is climbing and business confidence is at a 20-month low.
However, Berlusconi's cash-strapped government will struggle to find fresh funds to finance any meaningful new projects ahead of the elections, which must take place by May 2006.
Projects? How about fundamental reform? Posted by Orrin Judd at April 23, 2005 2:28 PM
Perhaps the Italian gov't could launch a PR campaign to try to convince Italians to get married at a much younger age.
Italians have very low rates of out-of-wedlock births, and they get married late in life, on average.
More young marriages (might) = more kids, and a future for Italy.