Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, weakened by the decision of the 5 Star Movement (M5S, anti-system), member of his coalition, to boycott a vote of confidence in the Senate, announced that he would submit his resignation on Thursday evening. “This evening, I will submit my resignation to the President of the Republic” Sergio Mattarella, declared Mr. Draghi in the Council of Ministers. “The majority of national unity which has supported this government since its creation no longer exists. The confidence pact on which this government’s action is based has disappeared”, he explained.
Mario Draghi, former head of the European Central Bank, had taken office in early 2021 to build a coalition of “national unity” broad and strong enough to overcome the pandemic emergency and the ensuing economic crisis.
Apart from Georgia Meloni’s Fratelli d’Italia party (extreme right), the main parties represented in parliament joined the coalition, from the centre-left (Democratic Party, Italia Viva) to the League (extreme right, anti-immigration), via the party of Silvio Berlusconi Forza Italia (centre right), and the 5 Star Movement.
Friction
But the frictions have not ceased with the M5S, whether within the party or within the government. And in accordance with the announcement made Wednesday evening by Giuseppe Conte, predecessor of Mario Draghi and current boss of the M5S, the senators of his party did not participate in the vote of confidence requested by the executive on a decree-law containing measures around 23 billion euros to help families and businesses deal with inflation. However, without the support of the M5S, Mr. Dragi considers that his government is becoming “political” and considers that he has not been mandated to lead a cabinet of this nature, even though he does not need their votes, nor in the Chamber of Deputies or in the Senate.
“Since my inauguration speech in parliament I have always said that this government would have continued only if it had a clear perspective of carrying out the program of government on which the political forces had voted confidence (…) These conditions no longer exist today”, he justified on Thursday evening.
Draghi bis?
But will Draghi really throw in the towel? Will the head of state agree to let him leave in the middle of summer, at the risk of bringing Italy into a period of even greater instability? “It is likely that Mattarella will not accept his resignation and will ask Draghi to ask for a vote of confidence next week” in parliament, said Francesco Galietti, an analyst at the firm Policy Sonar interviewed by AFP. The legislative elections are currently scheduled for 2023 and Mr. Mattarella does not wish to bring them forward to the fall.
At the origin of the crisis, the decree-law on aid for purchasing power also contains a measure to facilitate the construction of a garbage incinerator in Rome, which the M5S are opposed to. “We must respond to the social malaise which is increasing in a clear and decisive way. The irresponsible are not us, they are those who do not give an answer to the country”, pleaded Mariolina Castellone, head of the senators of the M5S, at the Senate Thursday.