For the sociologist of businesses Aldo Bonomi A

A huge heavy uneasiness of potential difficulties. Therefore, most political scientists interpret the debacle of the centre-left North of the peninsula. In the aftermath of the elections, many commentators questioned the divide between the coalition of Romano Prodi and the northern provinces, where the House of freedoms is exit majority. While the divorce between Silvio Berlusconi and the industry appeared to be consumed, the legislative vote teaches a much diverse reality. If the breakdown between the "Cavaliere" and the "establishment" is real, without being very new indeed, this is not true for the world of SMEs. And the economic engine of the peninsula (Lombardy, Veneto, Piedmont) is still recognized in the programme of the Union of Romano Prodi.

"The centre-left has not understood that there is a Northern issue, that Northern companies are no longer the same and continue to change in a deep way (...).". "Berlusconi was able to talk to their instincts and was able to attract them," said yesterday the ex-leader of the ICFTU (the Italian CFDT), Savino Pezzotta, the "Sole 24 Ore". This pillar of unionism, considered a potential Cabinet Minister Prodi, "professore" program has suffered from a deficit of local field communication, the promise of 5 points of payroll reduction was not having been sufficiently convincing to the steamroller of Forza Italia.

In fact, according to the distribution of votes, despite the narrow victory of the Union at the national level, the House of freedoms remained largely dominant in the North, with 56.9 of votes in the Senate (from 42.6 for the centre-left) in Lombardy, 54.8 (against 44.4) in Friuli Venezia Giulia, and 50.5 (compared to 49.5) in the Piedmont.

"Problem of dialogue".

"Approximately 85 of the GDP has voted against the left," summarizes the Economist of Forza Italia, Renato Brunetta, with a certain sense of form. But the admission of the industrialist of Riccardo Illy coffee, largely elected to the Presidency of the region Friuli Venezia with the support of the centre-left in 2003, there is still a real "difficulty of dialogue" between the left and the "industrial heart of the country" composed of SMEs, artisans and independent professionals. For the sociologist of businesses, Aldo Bonomi (A.a.ster), "the centre-left has lost the ability to read of the evolution of the Italian industrial model, which is no longer that of the large traditional company of Fiat or Alfa Romeo type". In contrast, the Northern League and Forza Italia were able to interpret the aspirations of craft enterprises and SMEs.

A reading of these results, several business leaders do not hide their perplexity the economic challenges that will need to meet with a very thin majority coalition of Romano Prodi. This explains, in part, the caution of the President of Confindustria, Luca di Montezemolo, who merely reaffirm the urgency of structural reforms so far. "It has totally underestimated the episode of Vicenza, the Congress of employers where Silvio Berlusconi resumed in main contractors in the Northeast", felt yesterday a banker to the North, without hiding that Romano Prodi will need to deepen its reflection on the fracture.