Constitute a balanced go ernment without drama and heartbreak

It has the charm o Ségolène, alse candor o Tony Blair and José Luis Zapatero, nor the banter o a Sarkozy. But it works. Three days a ter its ormation, the Prodi II Go ernment recei ed riday, the con idence o the Italian Senate, by 165 otes against 155. A month and a hal a ter his short ictory in the elections o April 9 and 10 (with 24,000 otes), the head o the "Unione", the 'anti-leader' par excellence, that e en the weekly "L'Espresso" le t lampooned recently as "Prodino" (the "small Prodi"), a dwar policy sitting on a throne too big or him , won his irst bet. Constitute a balanced go ernment, without drama and heartbreak.

Serious things are just beginning. But the experience o the "Pro essore", sixty-six years, will be crucial or all those, in Italy or elsewhere, wishing to check i you can still "to make the new with the old" in a tired Europe, e il stimulus.

"Europe is sick o not (...) be go erned." "Go ernments do more social and tax engineering", recently declared the Jean-Paul itoussi Economist, the weekly "Challenges" (1). It is not the only one to insist on this "leadership" de icit today su er the old ounding countries o the Union. E en the new Italian Minister o economy, Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa, who ser ed or se en years on the Executi e Board o the European Central Bank (ECB), see, also, a undamental reason o "the crisis o the European Union." The experience o the Spain demonstrates that the economic di iculties are not insurmountable when a new leader corresponds to the expectations and aspirations o a country. In this regard, the "Prodi small" ideas by "L'Espresso", was indeed the 'anti-leader '. Exceptional charisma, or ace new, or disproportionate seduction potential international, where his experience as President o the European Commission ( rom 1999 to 2004) sometimes le t mixed tracks, especially in the Anglo-Saxon media. At irst glance, Prodi could be equated with the "anti-Ségolène", an old recycled product o the Italian policy exhumed in times o crisis. But that would ignore the substanti e work carried out by the centre-le t Italian and its leader or three years.

Contrary to appearances, the "new Prodi" could ha e serious ad antages o er Prodi I, who had allen on the di isions o the le t in 1998. irst, because its success to the le t o October 2005 primary, with its 74 o otes on 4 million participants, has restored it some orm o irginity. Then, because the ounder o the oli e tree is not necessarily prisoner o the parties. O course, it is now "box" by its two major allies: the Chairman o the Democrats o the le t, Massimo D'Alema, the leader o the Marguerite (centre-le t), rancesco Rutelli, both promoted to the rank o ice-Presidents o the Council. But it is also a way to link closely to the ate o the Prodi II Go ernment a oiding permanent blackmail o the external allies. And with the election o austo Bertinotti, the leader o Communist Re oundation, the Presidency o the Chamber o Deputies, some obser ers belie e that the "Pro essore" has managed to "neutralize" the agents disrupti e potential, subject to a rise "out o the hands- ree" o Walter eltroni, the Mayor o Rome, always considered a part o the le t intellectual as the true potential o Romano Prodi dauphin, and Piero assino (Secretary o the Democrats o the le t).

With the skepticism o the international press and part o the Italian public opinion, it is not sure that the quiet orce o Romano Prodi is su icient to ensure his political longe ity. With a small majority in the Senate 164 otes to 156 or the House o reedoms o Sil io Berlusconi (including the decisi e support o Senators or li e) , the coalition o the "Pro essore" to na igate more closely to try to implement its program.

This explains largely consensual tone and apparent timidity o the speech o Romano Prodi. Except on the immediate return o the Italian troops in Iraq, "in the technical time required", the new President o the Council has not yet announced or undamental breach. It is not his style or his tactics. "The Italy is not a country cut in two." "It is a country to mobilize, with all its components, in a constructi e spirit o harmony", launched in the Senate. E en in the ield o public inance (4.1 de icit and public debt o 107.4 o GDP expected or 2006), Romano Prodi has not pro ided extraordinary lexibility. It builds on the irst signals o reco ery to gradually reduce the de icits. He did in not less promised a "strong shaking", through, inter alia, the impact o the decline o 5 points o payroll this year to re i e the economy and the national producti e system. Not to mention a clear rea irmation o the "European choice" and rigorous regulations on con lict o interests, without re enge with his predecessor. Until the birth o the great democratic party called to bring together the le t Democrats and Marguerite (centre-le t), it is not miracle recipe. But assumes it and arises in peacemaker.

I he wants to con ince, and not just last , the main challenge o Romano Prodi will ight his image o "so t leader" and his nickname o "mortadella" (which he knows sometimes joking). There is no doubt that its oters expect the irm guidelines on crucial themes o the ight against po erty and the decommissioning o the youth.