Berlusconi loses sorely
The week's news at a glance.
Rome
The center-right coalition led by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi lost Italy’s parliamentary elections this week by a hairsbreadth. The center-left bloc led by Romano Prodi claimed victory in the lower house by one-tenth of a percentage point—49.8 percent to 49.7 percent—the narrowest margin in Italian history. The tiny margin still translates into a decent majority, because under Italian law, whoever wins the election gets 55 percent of the seats regardless of the scale of victory. Berlusconi won’t go quietly, though. He’s demanding a recount. “The margin is under 25,000 votes,” said Paolo Bonaiuti, Berlusconi’s spokesman. “Such a tiny difference requires a scrupulous checking of the counting.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
-
The daily gossip: Taylor Swift dropping 'Eras Tour' movie extended cut on her birthday, Disney's 'Wish' disappoints at Thanksgiving box office, and more
The daily gossip: November 27, 2023
By Brendan Morrow, The Week US Published
-
Is Sen. Tommy Tuberville's Pentagon promotions pause finally coming to an end?
Today's Big Question Senate Democrats prepare a legislative end run around the Alabama Republican's obstructionist blockade
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
How a long-term truce in Gaza could have ripple effects across the Middle East
Talking Point Israel and Hamas have recently agreed to extend their peace for two more days
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published