Italian Prime Minister offers resignation after the ruling coalition crumbles

Europe, News July 15, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi sent his resignation to President Sergio Mattarella after his coalition partner Five Star Movement abstained from voting in the confidence motion. However, the president refused to accept Draghi’s resignation.

Mario Draghi was appointed to head the coalition government as the Prime Minister in February 2021. Italy at that time was recovering from the post-pandemic economic crisis. Draghi’s government has recently plunged into political turmoil as the Five Star Movement announced to abstain from voting in Draghi’s support in a confidence vote. The Five Star Movement’s drastic action has brought the already shaky coalition government to the brink of collapse.

Five Star Movement is the largest stakeholder in Italy’s coalition government which rose to power as an anti-establishment party before the 2018 elections. The party is headed by former Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. Since joining the coalition government, the party has faced a backlash from the public in form of losing several by-elections.

Earlier in June, Five Star Movement’s Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio announced that he would leave his office due to the government and party’s unclear stance on supporting Ukraine against the Russian invasion.

Following the Five Star Movement’s withdrawal from the confidence vote, Prime Minister of Italy Mario Draghi stated that his office has lost the pact of trust and unity among the coalition. He presented his resignation to President Sergio Mattarella, however, the President refused to accept his resignation and advised him to continue working in his position.

Sergio Mattarella appointed Mario Draghi, former head of the European Central Bank, as the Prime Minister of Italy to steer the country out of the economic crisis following the Covid-19 pandemic. After rejecting his resignation, the President asked Draghi to call for a parliamentary session to address the parliament in order to provide a clear picture of the country’s political situation.

*^{Italy’s former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte during a press conference at the Quirinal Palace. He has been the president of the Five Star Movement since August 2021. (Image Credit: Quirinale.it)}*

In a separate development, the Five Star leader Giuseppe Conte blocked the government’s economic aid package worth $23 billion for families and businesses. Conte argued that the economic aid package was not sufficient and that Draghi is not doing enough to address the cost of living crisis across the country.

Although the government still holds support from other coalition parties, the Five Star Movement’s withdrawal from the coalition could be a severe setback for the fragile coalition as it is the biggest party in the multi-party ruling coalition of Italy.

The next general elections are scheduled for 2023 in Italy, but an early resignation from the Prime Minister and dismantlement of the coalition government can result in early polls. Parties across the political spectrum are ramping up their efforts to go into the next general elections, hence an agitation among the parties of the ruling coalition can be seen.

The current right-wing opposition parties are trying to make a coalition of their own. Matteo Salvini of the League and Giorgia Meloni of the Brothers of Italy party are competing head-to-head for the leadership of a right-wing political parties coalition.