More than half of the approximately 1,000 deputies, senators and regional representatives concerned voted blank, reflecting the lack of consensus on a candidate between the main parties.
The second round of voting for the election of the new Italian president failed to designate a winner on Tuesday 25 January, prolonging the uncertainty as to the future of Prime Minister Mario Draghi and his government.
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More than half of the approximately 1,000 deputies, senators and regional representatives concerned voted blank for the second day, reflecting the lack of consensus on a candidate between the main parties. A third round of voting will take place on Wednesday morning, but no progress is expected before Thursday. From the fourth round, the election threshold changes from a two-thirds majority to an absolute majority.
Size challenge
The President of the Republic has a mainly ceremonial role in Italy, but this year the stakes are high: if Mario Draghi were elected, he could give up the head of government. Such a choice could provoke early elections, or even derail the reforms necessary to obtain the billions of euros from the European recovery fund promised to Italy.
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The election of the president is notoriously difficult to predict, however, with secret ballots, backroom deals and the lack of an official list of candidates giving it the air of a papal conclave. No political formation currently has an absolute majority in Parliament. But almost all the parties, from left to right, form a coalition of national unity led by Mario Draghi.
The former president of the European Central Bank (ECB) was appointed by outgoing President Sergio Mattarella in February 2021, when Italy was in recession due to the Covid epidemic. His government oversaw the return to growth and the success of the coronavirus vaccination campaign. He also initiated several reforms (fiscal and judicial systems, public administration) demanded by Brussels in exchange for almost 200 billion euros in grants and loans from the EU.
Very indebted
Many international investors fear that heavily indebted Italy could fall behind the tight reform timetable if Mario Draghi leaves. And many deputies fear losing their seats in the event of an early election. Others believe that Mario Draghi would be better placed as president to guarantee political stability and good relations with Brussels, especially if the far right wins the next elections.
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The head of state exercises crucial power during political crises, whether it involves dissolving parliament, choosing a new prime minister or denying mandates to fragile coalitions. Paolo Maddalena, a little-known former judge who came out on top in the 1st round on Monday, came out on top again on Tuesday with 39 votes. Sergio Mattarella, 80, got as much, despite making it clear he doesn’t want to serve a second seven-year term.