Stevige kritiek op Prodi's bemoeienis met Italiaanse politiek (en)

Commission President Romano Prodi has come under fire as he stands accused of interfering with Italian politics.

It all began late Monday night (10 November), when Mr Prodi issued a 50-page manifesto urging parties of the centre-left to run under a single banner in next June's European Parliament elections.

This move has been described as "irresponsible" and "unacceptable" by the Christian Democrat Leader in the European Parliament Hans-Gert Poettering, to which the Premier Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia Party belongs.

"Prodi should stop, otherwise there will be serious consequences", he said. "This is improper conduct for someone who holds an office which has to guarantee neutrality for everybody".

Reflections on Europe

Romano Prodi's move has been welcomed by many of Italy's opposition centre-left parties as he is seen as the only politician who could beat Silvio Berlusconi in Italy's general elections scheduled to take place in 2006.

However, it rang alarm bells among members of Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right government.

Deputy Premier Gianfranco Fini said Romano Prodi forgot that "as long as he is at the leadership of the European Commission, he has the duty to represent all Italians and all Europeans without ever losing sight of his institutional role", he said, according to Ansa.

Criticism was also launched by economics minister Giulio Tremonti, who called Mr Prodi's move "irresponsible".

But when asked to give his reaction, Romano Prodi said that his manifesto was his "reflections on Europe" and did not make any reference to national politics.

Romano Prodi was the one who led the Olive Tree coalition to victory in 1996, the first genuine left-wing administration in Italy since the fall of Fascism.