ITALY: BERLUSCONI DECIDED NOT TO RUN FOR PRESIDENCY
by Angelo Amante
ROME (Reuters) – Silvio Berlusconi announced on Saturday that he had decided not to stand in Italy’s presidential elections, the former prime minister lifting an obstacle to party talks ahead of a vote in parliament scheduled for January 24.
The appointment of current Prime Minister Mario Draghi is now seen as Parliament’s most likely choice, but it is not yet certain whether the wide range of parties backing his coalition will back him, lest his departure triggers early elections.
Silvio Berlusconi has said he wants the former president of the European Central Bank to stay on as head of government until the end of the legislature in 2023.
“I have decided to take a further step on the path of national responsibility, by asking those who proposed it to give up indicating my name for the presidency of the Republic”, he said.
The right-wing coalition had asked the 85-year-old ‘Cavaliere’ to run for president, but his candidacy was unlikely to be successful due to his difficulty in garnering the broad support traditionally needed among the most of 1,000 electors involved in the vote.
Silvio Berlusconi remains a very divisive figure in Italy and the centre-left camp had already ruled out supporting him.
Temporarily excluded from the public service after a conviction for tax evasion in 2013, he is still on trial for bribing witnesses in a case of child prostitution.
The Italian president has mainly honorary and ceremonial functions, but he is also responsible for resolving political crises, which makes him a key player in a country where governments only last a year on average.
Neither the centre-right nor the centre-left bloc have enough votes to impose a candidate from their own side, which means a compromise will be needed to avoid a prolonged deadlock.
“We will work with the leaders of the center-right (…) to agree on a name that can garner a broad consensus in Parliament,” said Silvio Berlusconi’s press release.
(French version Benjamin Mallet)