No we can’t - Italy fails to change for the better
While in the long term the consolidation of the two party blocs seen in the April 2008 elections may bring greater stability to the Italian political system (and bring the nature of party competition closer to that found elsewhere in European democracies), in the short term the prospects for coherent and responsible government in Italy are poor. I do not agree that the outcome of the election is a good one for Italy. If anything, it is close to the worst possibe result. The right-wing parties have a clear mandate to govern Italy for the next 5 years and, as they showed between 2001 and 2006, they know how to maintain 'just enough unity' to ensure they maintain their grip in power (something the centre-left has yet to learn). While the centre-left has made some progress in forming a forming a coherent political bloc, in the form of the 'Democratic party' - as reflected also in their decision to run separately from the radical left/green parties, the centre-right leadersh...