Italy's Government Collapses

Italy’s government finally fell Thursday, after Prime Minister Romano Prodi lost a confidence vote that made it clear that Italy’s leaders know they face a deep political and economic crisis but are venomously divided over how to solve it.

Emblematic of those divisions, during the debate one senator rushed in fury to the desk of a colleague, Stefano Cusumano, and taunted and apparently tried to attack him. Mr. Cusumano, 60, reportedly cried, then collapsed.

“If I had the chance, I would have spit in his face,” said the attacker, Senator Tommaso Barbato, who had to be held back by his colleagues. His action came after Mr. Cusumano changed his vote to support Mr. Prodi.

After the vote, which Mr. Prodi lost 161 to 156, he submitted his resignation, ending his 20 turbulent months in office and the 61st government here since World War II.

If there was any winner of this hard-fought battle, it appeared to be former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Italy’s richest man — and some would say its most contentious. Mr. Berlusconi, who has tirelessly worked for a comeback since losing elections to Mr. Prodi in 2006, urged President Giorgio Napolitano to call immediate elections, which polls indicate Mr. Berlusconi would be likely to win.

“Now we have to go to the vote,” Mr. Berlusconi said after the Senate action, referring to an election. “I want a large majority in the lower House and Senate that’s able to enact tough measures.”

But with many undecided voters in a nation that polls indicate is increasingly distrustful of and angry at politicians, nothing seemed certain, including immediate elections. More

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