Berlusconi seeks more power after party merger

Rome Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian Prime Minister, yesterday told members of a new conservative party that united his own Forza Italia with the right-wing Alleanza Nazionale that he needed more powers vested in him to help to modernise Italy. About 6,000 delegates, gathered in Rome for a three-day congress officially to baptise the Il Popolo della Libertà (People of Freedom) party, heard Mr Berlusconi, who is 72 and has been Prime Minister three times, promise reforms in education, women’s rights and environmental policy. But he said that his position commanded only “false” power and that he had been hamstrung in the past from carrying out changes by an “irresponsible opposition”, an unwieldy parliament and the inability to change his Cabinet. Many analysts believe that he intends to strengthen the role of the president of the republic and then manoeuvre himself into that position when this legislature ends, but he made no mention of the presidency in his speech.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article5993978.ece