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Italy is looking for a new president. The incumbent Prime Minister would be an option. But he does not comment on it.
The term of office of Italy’s President Sergio Mattarella expires at the end of January. As of today, the incumbent does not want to run again. The incumbent Prime Minister Mario Draghi is acting as the successor to Mattarella. But whether he will run for office or not is still not known.
So far he has always said that this election is a matter for parliament, the government has nothing to say. At his year-end press conference, however, he was approached directly about it again, says Dominik Straub, a freelance journalist in Italy. And his answer was rather vague.
A denial, a clear no, would sound different.
“He said on the one hand that he had no ambitions, on the other hand that the government work could continue, regardless of the person who heads this government. So a denial, a clear no, that would sound different, »says Straub. He lives in Rome.
No new head of government in sight
Draghi has been traded as its successor for months. According to Staub, there is a simple reason for this: “He is clearly the most popular, most competent and most serious politician available to Italy at this moment. In this respect, he would be the natural and logical successor to the very popular and serious President Sergio Mattarella. “
Legend:
Sergio Mattarella (to the left of Mario Draghi) is stepping down from his post in January.
Reuters
Why Draghi has not yet committed himself could be due to the problems that a move to the Quirinal would bring, according to Straub. «The first and most important problem would be that Italy would need a new head of government. It’s not in sight at the moment. ”
Change would be a loss for the country
If Draghi actually moves to the presidential palace, the country would “lose an incredibly good prime minister,” Straub is convinced. “Maybe the best it has had in the last 20 years.” Draghi led Italy through the pandemic very well.
“The corona numbers are rising a bit again, but compared to other countries, such as Switzerland or Germany, Italy has always been in very good shape in recent months,” the journalist sums up.
At the same time, the Italian economy is doing well. “Of course, that also has to do with the fact that it collapsed quite badly beforehand,” explains Straub. “But the country is indeed well positioned at the moment. And that is undoubtedly one man’s merit, and that is Mario Draghi. A change to the state presidency would be a loss for Italy. “
If it fails, there is a great risk that the government will also fall apart.
In addition, if Draghi actually resigned as prime minister, there would be new elections in Italy. “Everyone here is a little bit afraid of that,” says the journalist. Because one must not forget: Draghi has been leading a “government of national unity” since February 2021 – a coalition of the right-wing Lega, the social democratic PD and other, sometimes small, parties.
“Most observers think that Draghi is the only person who can hold such a heterogeneous coalition together,” explains the Italian expert. And that means: “If it fails, there is a great risk that the government will break up because you cannot agree on a different, new prime minister.”