Italy’s Premier Shops for New Coalition--With Familiar Faces

Italian Prime Minister Giovanni Goria, ousted from a job he never left by a crisis he never expected, went shopping Tuesday for a new government likely to include many old faces.

For the second time in five months, President Francesco Cossiga formally asked the bearded 44-year-old Goria to form a government. Goria, as protocol demanded, had tendered his resignation to Cossiga on Saturday after the defection of the smallest partner in his five-party coalition.

As Goria began a round of political consultations Tuesday, he said he will attempt to reassemble a government of the same five parties. All five have expressed willingness in principle.

Technically now a caretaker prime minister, Goria echoed the calls of other political leaders for a quick solution to the impasse caused by the defection of the tiny Liberal Party.

More than 500 bills await action by Parliament, including the government’s 1988 budget proposals. Parliament also must enact reforms in the judicial system and new laws governing Italy’s use of nuclear energy by early next year, as the result of referendums this month.

Statements by their party leaders made plain that Goria would have little trouble in winning renewed support from his own Christian Democratic Party, or from three of his four previous coalition allies. The Socialists, the Social Democrats and the Republicans all say they are willing to rejoin a Goria government.

Less certain is the position of the Liberals, who claimed only 2.2% of the electorate in mid-year elections but were included in the original Goria coalition to give it the broadest possible base.

The most conservative of the five parties, the Liberals unexpectedly broke with the government after what they called Goria’s failure to sufficiently reduce government spending in the new budget.

The Liberals also protest government attempts to reduce its budget deficit by deferring tax cuts and increasing the prices charged for social and health services. Although Goria insists that the Italian economy is sound, much of the private sector wants reduction of government spending to cut the projected 1988 deficit of $88 billion.

There is almost across-the-board opposition to plans that would defer long-promised personal income tax cuts until at least 1989. Striking workers demanding more pay to meet rising prices will keep Rome airport in turmoil all of this week. Unions threaten a general strike for next week.