Prodi Faces Confidence Votes in Parliament This Week

Remember when I mentioned that Italian politics were confusing? Well, add this feather to that cap. Last week, Premier Romano Prodi handed in his resignation to Italy’s president following a defeat in the Senate, right? President Giorgio Napolitano rejected Prodi’s resignation over the weekend, so now he’s facing a confidence vote in both chambers of parliament. The leader of Prodi’s coalition’s largest party is sure they’ve got a majority which will return Prodi to power.

The “do-or-die” vote in the Italian Senate is tomorrow, followed by a vote in the House on Friday. Though some are optimistic, others who were former supporters of Prodi are still wavering. In a speech before the Senate today, Prodi said reforming Italian electoral law was a priority for his government, should he still be in power by the end of this week.

And yes, my head is in knots trying to follow all of this, too.