The latest occasion for strife was a decision on the political strategy for European elections. A few days ago, former Prime Minister Romano Prodi announced that he wanted to run as an Olive candidate, and urged his former coalition partners to build up an alliance to fight the elections.

Former President Francesco Cossiga, now leader of the coalition partner UDR party, said "The Olive is dead and stinks." He said a choice had to be made between keeping the Olive coalition alive and having the support of his own party.

At the meeting on Tuesday 19th, Signor Prodi raised the stakes, saying that if agreement on a single list of candidates could not be reached he would present one of his own, chosen by his closest allies.

The outcome of the meeting was in some ways surprising: the Olive coalition members (PPI, DS, , Greens, and Antonio di Pietro's Values Movement) undertook to work on a common agenda, and to add the olive symbol to their respective party emblems.

In this way, Signor Prodi does not eliminate parties, but re-launches the Olive in grand style. It also means the end for the Olive's sworn enemy Francesco Cossiga, who immediately resigned as leader of the UDR, and has advised the three UDR Ministers to resign from the Government (although nothing is expected to come of it).