(ANSA) - Premier Silvio Berlusconi on Tuesday found himself in the umpteenth tight spot caused by his unpredictable ally the Northern League.
The centre-right premier was urged to sack Northern League ministers in response to an unprecedented attack by EuroMPs on President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi. During a keynote speech to the European Parliament, Ciampi was heckled by three League EuroMPs when he praised the benefits of the euro.
Shouting "down with the euro, freedom, freedom," the trio waved the flag of so-called 'Padania' (their name for northern Italy) before being hustled out of the chamber. Ciampi played down the incident, saying "interruptions are only to be expected," but the domestic oputcry was loud.
The opposition's unanointed leader, Romano Prodi, called for the resignation of the League's three ministers - Justice Minister Roberto Castelli, Labour Minister Roberto Maroni and Reform Minister Roberto Calderoli.
He said the EuroMPs' attack was "an act that defies description and offends the whole of Italy." Piero Fassino, whose democratic Left (DS) is the largest opposition party, said "Berlusconi has to decide: if he wants to stay in Europe he can't stay there with the League and its ministers."
Another DS bigwig, former premier Massimo D'Alema, said Berlusconi "has to take responsibility for an act that has seriously dented Italy's image, and should therefore suspend the League ministers. "Otherwise, it means he shares their position."
Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio of the Green Party said "the League can no longer stay in a government that represents our country."
Berlusconi and his other allies criticised the League EuroMPs but stopped short of calling for drastic action. The premier condemned the protest, which he said "breached all rules."
The EP caucus of Berlusconi's largest ally, the rightwing National Alliance (AN), said the incident was "unacceptable." AN leader, Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini, said the "League's rumpus was inadmissable and embarrassing."
The small but influential centrist UDS party said the EuroMPs had committed "a grave gesture that dishonours them."
As League honchos rushed to limit the damage, Maroni (the Labour minister) said the members of his party weren't criticising Ciampi but the euro. "The EuroMPs were right to protest against the euro but wrong to protest against Ciampi," he said.
Berlusconi has repeatedly had to mediate between the restless League and his two other allies, most notably on immigration and economic issues. Most recently the coalition has been at odds on the League's bid to call a referendum on scrapping the euro.
