NEWS: Al Jazeera English: Italian PM humiliated in crucial referendums

14/6/2011

This is an excerpt from a report published 13/6/2011 on the Al Jazeera English website. To read the entire article click the link below (there's also a video report by Alan Fisher):

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2011/06/2011613183232557390.html

What are your thoughts on the referendum's outcome and what does this mean for the future of Italy and Italian politics?

Silvio Berlusconi has suffered a humiliating defeat after Italians turned out in large numbers to vote in referendums which the Italian prime minister had encouraged them to boycott.

The proposals to repeal Berlusconi-era legislation on nuclear power, water privatisation and trial immunity for government ministers were backed by opposition parties and opposed by the centre-right.

Interior ministry figures put the turnout at 57 per cent, a huge change from the lacklustre participation in previous referendums, and 95 per cent of the votes counted backed the motions.

Berlusconi had declared that he would not cast a vote, but the unusually high turnout dashed any hope he may have had that the necessary quorum of 50 per cent would not be reached.

6 Comments

Max

13/6/2011 07:49:17 pm

I'm very happy for the referendum's outcome, which I think is one of the best tools in a democracy.
I hope that the will of the people do understand the political class because sometimes they are far away from people...but above all I hope that this is a small step for a better country for our children!

Cristina

14/6/2011 06:01:42 am

Hi!
The politic ( and the italian politics) are not my favourite topic...But I think that wasn't important to vote Yes or Not in this referendum, simply was important to vote!
In this event the italian people showed to be united!
I didn't vote ...but already for logistical reasons!

Bye Bye

Cristina Naples

Walter

14/6/2011 07:24:43 pm

Hi!
Personally I am not too happy with the result of nuclear referendum. I have two good reasons. The first considers that since the last referendum passed more than 20 years and nuclear power technology has made great strides: today’s management systems are more secure!
The second is more practical: it’s imperative that no one uses and build nuclear power plants If nuclear power is dangerous for the health of all. But really, all countries buy nuclear energy from neighbors instead of producing it by themselves.
Finally, the unpredictable event of earthquake isn’t a logical reason to stop nuclear power: LA’s people is a vivid example: living normally and waiting for the Big One!

Walter

Raj link

14/6/2011 09:03:50 pm

Walter,

I've not made up my mind about nuclear energy. On the surface it seems a clear cut decision. Why would any society want to risk so much. The Fukushima, Chernobyl and Three Mile Island disasters being the obvious examples against nuclear energy. The Diablo Canyon nuclear plant in California is I think one of the worst man-made structures ever. It lies near/over 4 fault lines. One doesn't need to wait for the BIG one for the catastrophe that is highly expected to occur.

At the same time, there are numerous practical implications that actually support nuclear energy. Without nuclear energy we'd have to turn to other carbon-based sources of energy, i.e. coal, to generate the immense amount of energy required today. Things are only getting worse.

Renewable sources while being the best way forward is not a big enough reality today. It is not expected to have a big enough impact for many years to come leaving us with little option but to use coal.

Coal, of course is more hazardous to human health on a real basis than nuclear energy. For all of the terrible things that have happened with nuclear disasters, the effects of burning coal and releasing toxic elements into the atmosphere has been significantly worse.

Should you want to, I can suggest reading George Monbiot, a journalist at the Guardian newspaper, and an eloquent proponent for nuclear energy. He is no radical but a very serious scholar. www.monbiot.com.

Having said all this, I am still hesitant to support nuclear energy though.

Raj

Roberta

15/6/2011 08:57:47 pm

I am also very happy with the results of the referendum.
We hope that a new wind is blowing on Italy.
Monday won democracy, the referendum is a very important tool for a democratic state
Do not forget that Italy is a republic with the results of the referendum of 1946.

Slovenia logistics link

15/10/2013 09:40:47 pm

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NEWS: Al Jazeera English: Italian PM humiliated in crucial referendums

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