QUOTE
Italian crisis talks as PM quits
Italian President Giorgio Napolitano has been holding crisis talks following the resignation of PM Romano Prodi after just 10 months in office.
Mr Prodi quit after several of his centre-left coalition partners opposed troop deployments in Afghanistan and plans to expand a US airbase in Italy.
Mr Napolitano may call new elections if agreement is not reached on forming a new coalition government.
Mr Prodi will stay on as caretaker prime minister in the meantime.
The talks are expected to last well into Friday, the president's office has said.
The government was brought down by two communist senators who rebelled against their own parties.
One of them, Franco Turigliatto, a Trotskyite, is facing expulsion procedures from the Communist Refoundation Party for not being "in line with the [party's] democratic will". The other rebel, Fernando Rossi, has already announced he will resign.
The BBC's Mark Duff in Milan says the smart money is on a much-weakened Mr Prodi being offered a new mandate to govern.
If so, he could return at the head of a new centre-left coalition, possibly including the opposition Christian Democrats.
Failing that, our correspondent says, the president may feel obliged to construct a temporary government of technocrats to hold the fort - and push through urgent measures like pensions reform and the next year's budget.
Mr Napolitano cut short a trip to Bologna to return to Rome for talks with Mr Prodi on Wednesday, during which his prime minister tendered his resignation.
Italian President Giorgio Napolitano has been holding crisis talks following the resignation of PM Romano Prodi after just 10 months in office.
Mr Prodi quit after several of his centre-left coalition partners opposed troop deployments in Afghanistan and plans to expand a US airbase in Italy.
Mr Napolitano may call new elections if agreement is not reached on forming a new coalition government.
Mr Prodi will stay on as caretaker prime minister in the meantime.
The talks are expected to last well into Friday, the president's office has said.
The government was brought down by two communist senators who rebelled against their own parties.
One of them, Franco Turigliatto, a Trotskyite, is facing expulsion procedures from the Communist Refoundation Party for not being "in line with the [party's] democratic will". The other rebel, Fernando Rossi, has already announced he will resign.
The BBC's Mark Duff in Milan says the smart money is on a much-weakened Mr Prodi being offered a new mandate to govern.
If so, he could return at the head of a new centre-left coalition, possibly including the opposition Christian Democrats.
Failing that, our correspondent says, the president may feel obliged to construct a temporary government of technocrats to hold the fort - and push through urgent measures like pensions reform and the next year's budget.
Mr Napolitano cut short a trip to Bologna to return to Rome for talks with Mr Prodi on Wednesday, during which his prime minister tendered his resignation.
I just felt like opening a topic for this new, even if its more about politics. If Prodi resigned, now there is a chance of new elections, and another chance for Don Silvio!!! Wouldn't it be great to see him in a place where he really belongs? yaaaaay! Anyone from Italy here?
