Italy’s president has turned down Premier Mario Draghi’s offer to resign after a key aide refused to back the government in a Senate vote
Italy’s president has turned down Premier Mario Draghi’s offer to resign after a key aide refused to back the government in a Senate vote
Italian Premier Mario Draghi offered to step down on Thursday after a populist coalition ally refused to support a major government bill, but the nation’s president declined the resignation, asking Mr Draghi to see to it. Can he still get majority in parliament which are ready to support him. ,
Mr Draghi’s broad unity coalition government – consisting of the right, left, center and the populist 5-Star Movement – was designed to help Italy recover from the coronavirus pandemic. He assumed office in February 2021.
Hours earlier on Thursday, Mr Draghi and his government won a vote of confidence, 172-39, in the Senate despite refusal by the 5-Star Movement to back the bill, which set aside 26 billion euros to help consumers and industries . energy prices. But the snub, composed by Mr. Draghi’s predecessor, 5-star leader Giuseppe Conte, did his damage.
Shortly before leaving for the Quirinal Presidential Palace to tender his resignation, Mr. Draghi declared: “Most of the national unity that has sustained this government from its creation no longer exists.”
But President Sergio Mattarella told Mr Draghi to go back to parliament instead and see if he could still garner solid support, a palace statement said, adding that the resignation was not accepted.
The next showdown in parliament is scheduled for 20 July, when Mr Draghi will formally pitch for support ahead of the trust vote – this time not on a specific bill but the very viability of his government.
“Wednesday, in parliament, before the nation, each political force must fulfill its responsibilities,” said the Democratic Party’s whip in the lower house of parliament, Deborah Seracchiani.
In Brussels, the EU’s finance commissioner, Paolo Gentiloni, a former Italian premier, said officials there were “following with worried surprise” the prospect of a possible settlement of Mr Draghi’s alliance.
Uncertainty over Mr. Draghi’s staying power also appeared to stir up the markets. The Milan Stock Exchange lost 3.44% on Thursday.
If Mr. Draghi can’t cobble together enough support to complete his economic reforms, Mattarella could pull the plug on parliament, setting the stage for an election in late September at the earliest. Currently, the term of parliament expires in the spring of 2023.
Mattarella had tapped the former European Central Bank chief – known as “Super Mario” for defending the euro – to lay the groundwork for getting Italy out of the pandemic and using billions in the EU to do. recovery fund.
The 5-stars, who have lost significant support in the recent local elections and trailed in opinion polls, are in a dilemma. Hard-line 5-star lawmakers, who doubted joining Mr Draghi’s government last year, have complained that their interests have been overlooked.
In the measure on Thursday, 5-stars opposed a provision allowing Rome to operate a garbage incinerator on the outskirts of the chronically trash-choked Italian capital.
In the debate, several senators criticized Mr Conte’s decision to boycott the vote by 5-star senators.
Being in a government “is not like choosing a menu and deciding, antipasto, no, gelato, yes,” said Emma Bonino, who leads a small pro-Europe party.
Others noted that Mr Draghi has become an important figure in Europe as Russia waging war against Ukraine, particularly with the imminent departure of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Mr. Draghi has ruled with the support of almost all of Italy’s main parties, with the exception of the increasingly far-right brethren of the Italian Party. The potential impact of Mr Draghi’s coalition led to new demands for early election by the party’s leader, Giorgia Meloni, which she hopes will be her springboard to become Italy’s first female prime minister.
Among Mr Draghi’s achievements is keeping Italy on track with reforms that the European Union has conditioned the country to receive 200 billion euros in pandemic recovery aid. Much of the EU’s funding has already been allocated, suggesting it will not be lost even amid government instability.