Italy's president dissolves parliament, paves way for early vote

 ROME, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Italy's President Giorgio Napolitano on Saturday dissolved parliament after a series of consultations¹ with party leaders, which came following the resignation of Prime Minister Mario Monti.

"I have signed the decree of parliament dissolution, which was the obvious conclusion and already marked by facts," Napolitano told a press conference after the round of meetings.

He recalled Monti's announcement of early resignation on Dec. 8 after former premier² Silvio Berlusconi's center-right People of Freedom party (PdL) withdrew support from the emergency cabinet.

In the lapse³ of time between Monti's step back and the vote, which was just set to be held on Feb. 24-25, the caretaker government is due to remain in place for acts of ordinary administration.

Napolitano wished that the upcoming electoral campaign will be held with "competitive but also constructive⁴ spirit" shared by all political forces.

"The phase of the Monti technocratic⁶ government is closed, we are going to the polls ... we are aware that Italy now deserves a second phase" made of "progressive policies and reforms," the leader in the parliament lower chamber⁷ of the center-left Democratic Party (PD), Dario Franceschini, said after meeting Napolitano.

Franceschini thanked Monti, who handed in his formal resignation on Friday following the approval of the 2013 budget law, "for putting his international credibility to the service of the country."

The PD, which has a strong lead in the opinion polls, has promised to maintain the "agenda" of deficit⁸ reduction targets that the former European Commissioner⁹ has agreed with the EU while implementing¹⁰ more growth-oriented policies to stimulate¹¹ Italy's stagnant¹² economy.

Over the past weeks, Monti has been under increasing pressure of business communities and European leaders to stand for a second mandate¹³, but over the last hours most local observers have considered this probability as unlikely.

The 69-year-old economist¹⁴, who took the helm of the emergency unelected cabinet 13 months ago to save Italy from deepening crisis, has kept his intention a secret and is expected to speak about his future during a press conference scheduled for Sunday.

He could present an "agenda" that the next government should pursue to follow up with his austerity policy, or endorse¹⁵ a group of moderate figures belonging to centrist parties, said sources quoted by local media.

The resigned premier's approval rating has risen from 33 percent to 38 percent over the last week but 60 percent of Italians do not want him to run in the upcoming general election, according to the SWG polling agency.

The PD and the PdL, the two biggest parties which have backed the Monti reforms in the past year, rejected the technocrat⁵ taking the political field saying that he would make a mistake by standing¹⁶ for top office again.

Monti needs to "maintain his technical profile of neutrality and impartiality¹⁷" during the electoral campaign, said the PdL leader in the parliament upper chamber, Maurizio Gasparri, adding that a "difficult" phase has opened for the recession-hit country.

Gian Luca Galletti, the leader in the parliament lower chamber of the third biggest party backing the government in the past year, the centrist Union of the Center (UDC), whished Saturday that Italy firmly continues with the work carried by Monti "in order not to frustrate¹⁸ the efforts of citizens."

1 consultations   

n.磋商（会议）( consultation的名词复数 )；商讨会；协商会；查找

参考例句：

• Consultations can be arranged at other times by appointment. 磋商可以通过预约安排在其他时间。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Consultations are under way. 正在进行磋商。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

3 lapse   

n.过失，流逝，失效，抛弃信仰，间隔；vi.堕落，停止，失效，流逝；vt.使失效

参考例句：

• The incident was being seen as a serious security lapse.这一事故被看作是一次严重的安全疏忽。
• I had a lapse of memory.我记错了。

4 constructive   

adj.建设的，建设性的

参考例句：

• We welcome constructive criticism.我们乐意接受有建设性的批评。
• He is beginning to deal with his anger in a constructive way.他开始用建设性的方法处理自己的怒气。

5 technocrat   

n.技术人员，技术官僚

参考例句：

• He is a distant technocrat who is unable to connect with ordinary voters.作为一个冷淡的技术官僚，他不能做到与普通选民息息相通。
• Jack Lew,the new budget director,is the quintessential technocrat.新预算主管杰克·卢就是一个典型的技术官僚。

6 technocratic   

adj.由技术专家官员组成的；受技术官僚影响的

参考例句：

• But there is method in Europe's technocratic madness, the official went on. 但欧洲的专家政治论者的愤怒是有原因的，这个位官员接着说道。 来自互联网
• Mr Juppé was floored in part by his contemptuous, technocratic attitude towards union leaders. 朱佩对工会领导蛮横与不屑，是导致他一败涂地的部分原因。 来自互联网

7 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

8 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

9 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

10 implementing   

v.实现( implement的现在分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• -- Implementing a comprehensive drug control strategy. ――实行综合治理的禁毒战略。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• He was in no hurry about implementing his unshakable principle. 他并不急于实行他那不可动摇的原则。 来自辞典例句

11 stimulate   

vt.刺激，使兴奋；激励，使…振奋

参考例句：

• Your encouragement will stimulate me to further efforts.你的鼓励会激发我进一步努力。
• Success will stimulate the people for fresh efforts.成功能鼓舞人们去作新的努力。

12 stagnant   

adj.不流动的，停滞的，不景气的

参考例句：

• Due to low investment,industrial output has remained stagnant.由于投资少，工业生产一直停滞不前。
• Their national economy is stagnant.他们的国家经济停滞不前。

13 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

14 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

15 endorse   

vt.(支票、汇票等)背书，背署；批注；同意

参考例句：

• No one is foolish enough to endorse it.没有哪个人会傻得赞成它。
• I fully endorse your opinions on this subject.我完全拥护你对此课题的主张。

16 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

17 impartiality   

n. 公平, 无私, 不偏

参考例句：

• He shows impartiality and detachment. 他表现得不偏不倚，超然事外。
• Impartiality is essential to a judge. 公平是当法官所必需的。

18 frustrate   

v.使失望；使沮丧；使厌烦

参考例句：

• But this didn't frustrate Einstein.He was content to go as far as he could.但这并没有使爱因斯坦灰心，他对能够更深入地研究而感到满意。
• They made their preparations to frustrate the conspiracy.他们作好准备挫败这个阴谋。