Berlusconi’s PDL party breaks apart

DPA/AFP/RomeFormer Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi relaunched Forza Italia (Go Italy) yesterday as his People of Freedom (PDL) party split between his supporters and those within his party wanting greater democracy.“I am happy that we have returned to this name, the one we all still have in our hearts: Forza Italia,” Berlusconi said at a party conference in Rome before hundreds of delegates, who voted unanimously to the name change of the party with the 77-year-old leader again at its helm.Berlusconi supporter, Senator Vincenzo Gibiino, said: “Forza Italia is reborn thanks to Berlusconi who has decided to throw himself into the fray for all our sakes.”At least 250 delegates, however, were not present.This faction, led by former PDL deputy leader Angelino Alfano, previously said they would not attend the PDL party conference, announcing the formation of breakaway party called Nuovo centrodestra (New Centre Right).“I am here to make a choice that I never thought I would make – not to join Forza Italia,” Alfano said late on Friday.The 43-year-old Alfano said he made the decision because “these past few weeks have shown to what extent extreme forces have prevailed within our movement”, referring to a belief by his supporters that Berlusconi was pandering to hardliners.Composed of between 56 and 60 parliamentarians, the Alfano group would be large enough to ensure the survival of the prime minister’s government should Berlusconi supporters drop out of the ruling coalition under the leadership of centre-left Prime Minister Enrico Letta.At the centre of PDL split is how the party would react to the possible expulsion of Berlusconi from parliament over a tax fraud conviction.The possibility of parliamentary expulsion, the decision for which is to take place on November 27, is seen as likely because the centre-left Democratic Party (PD), the PDL’s main coalition partner, is unwilling to let the scandal-prone politician keep his seat.Yesterday Berlusconi repeated his allegation that it was impossible for his party to remain in parliament with people who wanted the death of the one of the party’s leaders.The Alfano group, however, has argued the good of the country necessitated the continuance of the Letta government.Negotiations within the PDL to prevent a party split continued until the last minute, with Alfano demanding in addition to remaining in the governing coalition an increase of democracy within the party and other issues.In a 30-minute-long speech, Berlusconi appeared to signal his readiness to enter the opposition, criticising the Letta government, accusing it of failed economic policies and lacking political will within Europe.He thundered against taxes and maintained that when he was head of government, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French former president Nicolas Sarkozy never liked him because he had “the experience and the will to say no”.Berlusconi also hit out at former loyalists in his centre-right party.The billionaire blamed the split on “differences not of policy or values but between personalities who have created a poisonous atmosphere”.Berlusconi’s party has been in turmoil since September when the former premier tried to bring down the government by withdrawing his ministers from the cabinet, and was forced into a humiliating climbdown when they refused to heed his orders.He added he had not slept all night and expressed his “sadness” at the break-up, drawing frequent applause from his supporters.In a conciliatory gesture Berlusconi added however that Alfano’s grouping would be a “necessary member” of his centre-right voting bloc, with Forza Italia at its head.The 77-year-old tycoon on will face another humiliation on November 27 – the prospect of being stripped of his parliament seat when the Senate votes whether to eject him under a law banning convicted criminals from the chamber.The move comes after the Italy’s supreme court on August 1 turned down his final appeal in a tax fraud case, handing Berlusconi his first-ever definitive conviction in a long history of legal woes. Berlusconi has asked to serve his 12-month sentence by carrying out community service.Ejection from the Senate would mean Berlusconi being out of parliament for the first time since 1994, when the media and construction magnate first burst onto Italy’s political scene.