Bailout or Bust? Alitalia divides a nation, paralyses Rome

Italians are watching Alitalia go into yet another financial tailspin, and a growing number of them believe it would be better for the country if it crashed. Outraged at repeated state bailouts that have cost taxpayers more than E7b over a decade, many Italians are taking to social media to urge the govt to resist the political temptation to rush to its rescue again. An opinion poll published Friday, 4 days after Alitalia workers voted to reject a union-backed rescue plan proposed by management, shows that 77% of Italians believed the airline should be left to fail. Without state support, Alitalia appears headed for collapse. Rival airlines show little interest in buying it, and creditors refuse to lend more money after workers last Monday voted down a rescue plan that would have cut 1,700 jobs and trimmed salaries. <br/>