[Politics] In Italy, Draghi and Berlusconi are competing for the presidency of the Republic: "A key and very complicated election

[FazzNoth]

Provided by RTL info

 

The Italian Parliament meets on Monday to elect a new President of the Republic, a prestigious post for which Prime Minister Mario Draghi appears best placed in a game of musical chairs threatening the survival of the executive.

 

While negotiations are taking place behind the scenes, former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has been the most aggressive in his campaign, going so far as to boast of his sultry "bunga bunga" parties. The 85-year-old billionaire has long dreamed of a seven-year term under the gold of the Quirinal Palace, although observers doubt he has the necessary votes. It is notoriously difficult to predict the winner of this secret ballot election, a voting method that is prone to twists and turns.

 

The President, however, has considerable power in the event of a political crisis, whether to dissolve Parliament, choose the Prime Minister or deny mandates to fragile coalitions. And Italy needs stability more than ever: the parties in the disparate coalition supporting Draghi are already in battle for next year's parliament. And chaos could jeopardize the implementation of the Italian part of the post-Covid European recovery plan. "This is a key and very complicated election, because the political parties are weak, they are in a state of total fragmentation," Giovanni Orsina, director of the Luiss School of Government in Rome, told AFP.

 

The vote, the next earthquake for the government?

 

According to the leading daily Il Corriere della Sera, the vote could "hit the government like an earthquake" as Italy struggles with a new wave of Covid-19 that could disrupt the recovery from the 2020 recession.

A former president of the European Central Bank, Draghi, 74, has hinted at interest, but his election would leave his current post vacant at a very sensitive time. Appointed by outgoing President Sergio Mattarella in February 2021, Mr. Draghi has managed to hold together a government made up of almost all of Italy's political parties, while reviving economic growth. He has also overseen key reforms demanded in exchange for funds from the EU stimulus package, of which Rome is the main beneficiary with about 200 billion euros.

 

International investors fear that debt-ridden Italy will fall behind on the tight reform schedule should Mr. Draghi step down as prime minister.

About 1,000 senators, deputies and regional representatives will start voting on Monday. To be elected, two-thirds of the vote is required in the first three rounds, followed by an absolute majority in subsequent rounds. Due to Covid security measures, each round will take a day and, as is traditional, there are theoretically no official candidates.

 

Pre-election year

 

Most experts believe that Draghi would be better placed as president to ensure political stability and good relations with Brussels, especially if the right and far right win the elections scheduled for 2023. It is also far from certain that he would be able to continue reforms if he stayed in office. And he risks losing his position anyway in the next parliamentary elections. "This is a pre-election year. Even if Draghi were to remain prime minister, the truth is that he would have difficulty controlling the political situation," with political parties outbidding each other in the run-up to the parliamentary elections, Orsina said.

One possible solution would be to appoint the oldest member of the current government, Renato Brunetta, 71, a member of Berlusconi's right-wing Forza Italia party, as prime minister, with the leaders of the main coalition parties holding the most important ministerial posts until the elections.

If Mr. Draghi remains Prime Minister, many other names are being floated for the position of head of state, including European Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni, former socialist Prime Minister Giuliano Amato and Justice Minister Marta Cartabia, who would be the first female president.

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