Political Process Follows Topsy-Turvy Scenario : Italy’s Government Falls; June Vote Scheduled

Italy’s topsy-turvy political crisis ended Tuesday with the collapse of a temporary government, the dissolution of Parliament and the scheduling of early parliamentary elections for mid-June.

The 10-day-old minority government of Christian Democrat Amintore Fanfani, which was formed with the deliberate intention of falling quickly, followed the scenario and fell. This took place in a paradoxical confrontation that saw the government’s enemies voting to keep it alive and its strongest supporters delighted to see it go.

Not long after the Fanfani government lost a vote of confidence in Parliament, Fanfani submitted his resignation to President Francesco Cossiga, who promptly ordered Parliament dissolved.

Cossiga’s action means that elections will be held June 14, outgoing Labor Minister Ermanno Gorrieri said. The presidential decree ended an eight-week political crisis that began with the resignation of Prime Minister Bettino Craxi, a Socialist, in March.

The Fanfani government was made up entirely of Christian Democrats. They are the dominant Italian political party but nonetheless represent a minority, and they had formed a government with the sole purpose of losing a vote of confidence in order to force early elections. The government lasted for 10 days.

In the vote of confidence, the Christian Democrats abstained, while many of their opponents, including Craxi’s Socialists, voted to keep them in power.

The Socialists and other smaller parties opposed early elections--normally, there would be no elections until next spring--and favored instead a nationwide referendum to determine the future of nuclear power in Italy, which had been scheduled for June. The Christian Democrats opposed the referendum, which polls suggested would call for an end to the country’s nuclear power program. With general elections now scheduled, the referendum is automatically canceled.

The powerful Communist Party, which almost equals the Christian Democrats in voter strength, favored early elections and voted against the Fanfani government. With the Christian Democrats abstaining, the Communist vote was enough to defeat the effort of the minority parties to keep the government alive.

The Socialists reacted to the maneuvering by announcing that they will contest Cossiga’s dissolution of Parliament as unconstitutional. A spokesman said the Socialists believe that Cossiga could not constitutionally dissolve Parliament and call an election when a government deliberately contrives to bring about its own downfall.

Political commentators doubt that the protest can succeed.