ITALY: Italian prime minister Romano Prodi, facing close votes in parliament on troops in Afghanistan and economic reforms, said he would risk a new election two months into the job if his tiny majority does not hold.
While telling Corriere della Sera newspaper in an interview published yesterday that it was "more thrilling . . . more sexy" to govern on a narrow majority, the former European Commission president sent a warning to rebels in his coalition.
Mr Prodi ousted centre-right leader Silvio Berlusconi in April with a Senate majority of just two seats, making him vulnerable to a rebellion on the far left of his coalition on both issues.
"I would like to make it clear that my majority adheres to a political plan and that if my government loses, we will go to the vote," he told the newspaper. "Do I make myself clear?"
The lower house has already approved plans to keep 1,300 Italian troops on Nato duties in Afghanistan and it is due to study his economic reforms next week. But Mr Prodi's communist, green and pacifist partners in the Senate may vote against both.
Mr Prodi has repeatedly threatened a confidence vote, which would result in the fall of his government if he lost.
He told Corriere he did "not think it would be necessary" but his cabinet, meeting yesterday, authorised one minister to request a confidence vote "if and when it is necessary".
The head of the conservative opposition National Alliance, Gianfranco Fini, said Mr Prodi's dilemma on the Afghanistan mission showed he did not have the political strength to run Italy.
"No government in the world has credibility if it does not have a majority on foreign policy," said Mr Fini, adding that the opposition had supported Mr Prodi on Afghanistan in the lower house because it was "in the national interest", but also had a duty to oppose any ideas it did not agree with.
Patrizia Paoletti Tangheroni of Mr Berlusconi's Forza Italia party said she found Mr Prodi's comments about enjoying a slim majority "embarrassing. Nobody in Italy wants to know what stimulates the prime minister sexually".