ROME, Dec. 21 (UPI) -- Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and his People of Freedom party experienced a rise in approval ratings after he was attacked this month, a poll says.
Berlusconi suffered facial injuries Dec. 13 when he was assaulted by a man with a history of mental problems, the Italian news agency ANSA reported Monday.
In the week following the attack, a poll indicated Berlusconi's party's approval rating was 48 percent, a 4-percentage-point rise from the previous month. The opposition Democratic Party held at 40 percent, the poll said, while the smaller Union of Center opposition group gained 2 percent to match it at 40 percent.
Another party, Italy of Values, dropped in the poll after maintaining its strong anti-Berlusconi position even after the attack on the prime minister in Milan. Its rating dropped 6 percentage points to 35 percent, its lowest ever.
Berlusconi's personal approval rating was up 3 percentage points to 48 percent. His 45-percent rating in November was the lowest since he took office in the spring of 2008.
