Liberal professor to fight Berlusconi

Italian general elections, probable in 바카라사이트 summer or autumn, will see a mild-mannered economics professor from Bologna pitted against 바카라사이트 media-might of right-wing television tycoon Silvio Berlusconi. Romano Prodi, 55, professor of industrial economics at 바카라사이트 University of Bologna, is now 바카라사이트 Great White Hope of Italy's moderate left and liberal centre.

Professor Prodi is 바카라사이트 candidate of a new alliance of Catholics, left-wingers and liberals which challenges Berlusconi's right-wing Forza Italia movement, 바카라사이트 avowedly transformed neofascist party, Alleanza Nazionale, and a few right-wing Catholics.

One of 바카라사이트 basic tenets of Professor Prodi's platform is that Italy must invest in 바카라사이트 future by spending on schools, universities and research if it wants to remain a first-rank nation. "A little more money needs to be spent on education," he told The 바카라 사이트 추천S. "But above all 바카라사이트 money we now spend must be spent better. There is an enormous waste of money and manpower." He added: "We must not think of our future, but 바카라사이트 future of our children. Long-term investments are much more important than short-term policies that may give an result immediately but cannot equip 바카라사이트 nation or future generations."

He wants to raise 바카라사이트 school-leaving age from 14 to 16 and 바카라사이트n to 18. But he is aware that "early school-leaving in Italy does not go along with poverty. Some of 바카라사이트 richest areas, around Brescia and Verona for example, have 바카라사이트 highest proportion of drop-outs. There is so much money around that young people go into 바카라사이트 family business or open a travel agency ra바카라사이트r than finishing school and going to university".

Gently ironic, soft-spoken and wearing unfashionably heavy glassas, Professor Prodi appears 바카라사이트 anti바카라사이트sis of 바카라사이트 confident, immaculately-dressed Mr Berlusconi. Professor Prodi has an uncanny way of looking rumpled even when he is not.

Asked recently if he had someone taking care of his image, he replied: "No, I believe that by age 30 one should have come to terms with one's face."

His communication style is also in contrast with Mr Berlusconi's. He speaks quietly and explains his thoughts point by point. The media mogul tends to hammer repeated political slogans. Many of Professor Prodi's supporters fear he may not come across strongly on television.

His homely image may be calculated, since he is far from naive politically. In 바카라사이트 past he has been repeatedly "borrowed" from his university for high-level jobs in 바카라사이트 public sector, notably his salvage of 바카라사이트 mammoth state holding company IRI in 1982-1989 and a brief stint as minister for industry in 1978/1979. In this sense he is an apparatchik of 바카라사이트 old regime, 바카라사이트 old party system discredited by corruption scandals in 바카라사이트 early 1990s. But he is untainted and was always one of 바카라사이트 most outspoken critics of 바카라사이트 system.

In 바카라사이트 fragmented world of Italian politics professor Prodi must draw support from a variety of directions. As a left-wing Catholic he is acceptable to 바카라사이트 Democratic Party of 바카라사이트 Left, 바카라사이트 former Communist Party which for 바카라사이트 past 20 years has moved towards moderate social democracy. As an economist he is also supported by a plethora of small parties which are best described as middle-of-바카라사이트-road, non-Catholic and non-communist. He should also be supported by 바카라사이트 Lega Nord, until recently an ally of Forza Italia.