Italian President Sergio Mattarella dissolved Parliament this Thursday (21) which automatically means early elections.
“The political situation led to this decision,” Mattarela said in front of television cameras, referring to the end of the national unity coalition that supported the government led by economist Mario Draghi.
Stating that this decision is always “the last option”, Mattarella said, “I approved the decree that dissolved the Assemblies with the aim of holding new elections within a maximum of 70 days.”
Mattarella thanked Draghi and his ministers for the work carried out during “these 18 months” of government. He also reminded that the economic situation, as well as the energy and food costs “do not allow too many breaks”, and warned that there are many more measures to be taken.
Draghi’s resignation sets off an intense campaign for snap elections, which, according to some newspapers, are expected to be held on September 18 or 25, or even October 2.
Considered the savior of the eurozone in 2012, Mario Draghi was appointed Prime Minister of Italy in February 2021 to save Italy from its health, political and economic emergency. He threw in the towel on Thursday, exhausted by disagreements within his coalition.
The political crisis had been brewing for months in Rome, against the background of the internal struggles of the anti-system 5 Star Movement (M5E). In the end, the heterogeneous coalition that supported him collapsed from right to left.
The end of the Draghi-led Executive could, above all, benefit the right-wing coalition led by the post-fascist Fratelli d’Italia (Brothers of Italy) party led by Giorgia Meloni. Polls point to his comfortable victory in the elections.
Widely applauded in the House of Representatives this morning, Draghi requested the immediate suspension of the session to travel to the Quirinal presidential palace, where he arrived shortly after 9:15 am local time (4:15 am in Brasília). decision” to President Sergio Mattarella. .
The dissolution of parliament was the expected outcome after Silvio Berlusconi’s right-wing party Forza Italia, Matteo Salvini’s far-right party and anti-establishment 5 Star Movement (M5E) party refused to participate in Wednesday’s no-confidence vote. by the prime minister in the Senate.
The fall of “Super Mario” designed to save Italy during the social, economic and health crisis in February 2021 caused strong reactions on the peninsula.
While the headline of the newspaper La Repubblica was “Italy was betrayed”, La Stampa, a newspaper close to the industrialists, was content with writing “Shame” on the entire page.
According to polls, the majority of Italians wanted Draghi to stay in office, one of the reasons he backed out on Wednesday and did not confirm his initial resignation. However, he failed to align the parties in his coalition around a government “pact” he proposed in a long and intense speech to the Senate.
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Right-wing parties within the Executive, which hoped to win the elections and decided to overthrow the prime minister on the pretext that they did not want to rule together with the 5 Star Movement.
On the other hand, opponents of the system, which started the crisis last week, think that some points of the laws Draghi proposed are contrary to their principles and that all the measures taken during his previous government have been abolished.
The end of the Union executive could, above all, benefit the right-wing coalition led by the post-fascist Fratelli d’Italia (Brothers of Italy) party led by Giorgia Meloni, which, according to polls, will win the snap elections comfortably.
“We are ready. This nation desperately needs to regain its conscience, its pride and its freedom,” said Giorgia Meloni, the 45-year-old veteran far-right leader who could become Italy’s future head of government, on Thursday.
This prospect worries Europeans, because their party, the Brothers of Italy, with 24% of the vote, advocates reviewing European Union treaties and even replacing them with a “confederation of sovereign states”.
European Economic Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni called the departure of the coalition parties “irresponsible”, while Brussels and its European partners pressured Draghi to stay in office.
Markets are watching the situation carefully. Italy’s debt cost rose again and the Milan Stock Exchange closed 1.6% on Wednesday, a sign of uncertainty in the eurozone’s third-largest economy.
source: Noticias
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