ITALIAN BUSINESS CONCERNED OVER POLITICAL CRISIS
Italian Prime Minister designate Giulio
Andreotti expressed cautious optimism about his chances of
forming a government, amid concern by industrialists that a
lengthy political crisis could cause economic damage.
    Andreotti today wound up his first round of political
consultations aimed at finding a way out of the crisis.
    His Christian Democrats and the Socialists of outgoing
premier Bettino Craxi, whose row caused last week's collapse of
the five-party coalition, remained deeply divided.
    Andreotti said he would spend the weekend considering the
situation before a second round of consultations next week.
    Meanwhile Italy's top industrialists expressed concern that
a long drawn-out crisis, or continuing squabbling between the
five coalition partners, could jeopardise the major economic
progress made in three-and-a-half stable years under Craxi.
    Luigi Lucchini, president of the employers organisation
Confindustria said in a speech yesterday, "What is certain is
that a precarious political situation is damaging to the
economy, to the objectives of companies, to competitivity."
    His remarks were supported by Fiat chairman Giovanni
Agnelli, who said in a radio interview that he hoped for a
reconstruction of the coalition.
 REUTER
