Sign up to The Irish Times Archive (1859 - 2008)My Account »

Sat 07 Jul 2006Prodi warns of election if he loses two key votesITALY: Italian prime minister Romano Prodi, facing close votes in parliament on troops in Afghanistan and economic reforms, said he would risk a new election two months into the job if his tiny majority does not hold.While telling Corriere della Sera newspaper in an interview published yesterday that it was "more thrilling . . . more sexy" to govern on a narrow majority, the former European Commission president sent a warning to rebels in his coalition.