Italy’s Parliament failed to elect a president today as Democratic Party leader Pier Luigi Bersani faced a revolt from his allies after he sought to compromise with former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
Bersani was deserted by allies on the first ballot as Franco Marini, the candidate he backed with Berlusconi forces received 521 of 1,007 possible votes, less than the necessary two-thirds majority. With no path to a Marini victory, both the Democratic Party and Berlusconi’s forces cast blank ballots on the second vote. The election continues at 10 a.m. tomorrow.
