The Wall Street Journal-20080118-Politics -amp- Economics- Italy-s Prodi Takes Control of Justice Ministry
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Politics & Economics: Italy's Prodi Takes Control of Justice Ministry
ROME -- Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi sought to keep his grip on power yesterday, temporarily taking over the justice ministry a day after his fragile government was hit by a corruption scandal involving his justice minister.
In a speech to the lower house of parliament backing former Justice Minister Clemente Mastella, Mr. Prodi said he would keep the new post for the time needed for magistrates to clear his ally's position, allowing Mr. Mastella to return to his job.
Mr. Mastella thanked Mr. Prodi for his backing but told the premier he shouldn't take the support of his small centrist party for granted anymore, further complicating the life of the ruling center-left coalition. "We won't give our support as before, where compromise was the condition to keep the coalition together," Mr. Mastella said at a news conference.
Since Mr. Mastella's Christian Democratic Udeur party is crucial to ensuring Mr. Prodi's slim majority in the senate, the move represents a new setback. Mr. Prodi had to briefly step down in February 2007, less than a year after winning elections, after left-wing senators in his sprawling alliance refused to back his foreign policy line. Mr. Prodi sought to reassure lawmakers the government remains solid, saying it "has counted on the support of the Udeur in the past and will continue to do so in the future."
Mr. Mastella had threatened to resign several times since the government took power 20 months ago, bickering with colleagues in the cabinet on matters ranging from foreign policy to the rights of unmarried couples.
Mr. Mastella and his wife, Sandra, an official in the southern Campania region, are targets of an investigation into alleged corruption in the region's health-care system and other public offices. They both deny wrongdoing.
