ROME – Mario Draghi faces the end of his term as prime minister, after failing to get enough support from right-wing parties in his coalition to continue leading the Italian government.
In a speech on Wednesday, Draghi indicated that he was willing to continue as prime minister if his coalition colleagues in feud could guarantee “sincere and concrete support” for him to continue.
But even though he won a vote of confidence in parliament on Wednesday evening, it was without the support of key parties in the power-sharing administration.
As things stand, there seems to be no place for Draghi to go other than to submit his resignation. He is due to speak on Thursday in the lower house of Italy’s parliament before going to see Italian President Sergio Mattarella. Draghi will formally announce his decision to resign Thursday morning, according to Italian news agency Ansa.
If he resigns, it would lead to early elections, which would plunge the country into months of convulsions. Italy’s right-wing parties are expected to win this contest, which would likely be held in the fall.
The departure of the 74-year-old former president of the European Central Bank would also deprive the EU of one of its most experienced leaders at a critical time, with inflation soaring and war at the door.
Wednesday’s vote marked the culmination of a crisis that has been raging for months, as tensions erupted between Italy’s increasingly conflicting coalition partners ahead of the election. scheduled for next year.
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After a meeting between Silvio Berlusconi, leader of the center-right Forza Italia, and Matteo Salvini, leader of the League of the hard right, on Wednesday in the town of Berlusconi in Rome, the two right-wing parties proposed their own conditions to give support. Draghi.
They agreed to support him only if the new government excludes the 5 Star Movement, which Draghi has previously said he would not accept. They also demanded the removal of Health Minister Roberto Speranza and Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese, whom the League considers weak in handling the pandemic and immigration. They said they would not participate in the vote of confidence on Draghi’s motion.
These demands would be very difficult to accommodate Draghi. He has said he would not lead a government that excludes 5Stars. Without them, the balance of the coalition would shift to the right and Draghi believes his mandate is to lead a government of national unity.
Draghi offered to resign last week after the 5Star Movement boycotted a critical vote of confidence. But after President Sergio Mattarella rejected his resignation, Draghi agreed to make one last attempt to save the coalition.
He said in his speech to the Senate on Wednesday that he would be willing to continue as Italian prime minister, but only if there was support for his EU-ordered reform and policy agenda from his coalition partners.
He criticized the parties, which he said had manifested “growing difference and division” in recent months, and cited his opposition to several bills as proof that the majority of the government “has relied on its country modernization program “.
The two right-wing parties in his coalition seemed surprised and irritated by the tone and content of Draghi’s speech.
Massimo Bitonci, a League MP, said his party was “stunned” by Draghi’s statements. He stated that Draghi had not referred to policies supported by the League, such as a fixed tax rate in his proposed agenda.