Italian lawmakers failed to elect a new president in an early secret ballot on Monday, and party leaders met behind the scenes to reach consensus on a candidate and avoid political instability.
Prime minister mario dragio He remains at the forefront, but there are concerns that his promotion as head of state could dislodge his coalition government and lead to early national elections, complicating his prospects.
Mario Draghi Sando or the preferred candidate released – Photo: Yara Nardi / Pool / Reuters
A second round of voting will take place on Tuesday after a blank majority of 1,008 “large voters” voted on Monday in a polling that lasted nearly five hours.
Although largely ceremonial, the Italian presidency is also highly influential, with the head of state often called upon to resolve the political crisis in the eurozone’s third-largest economy, where governments only survive an average of one year.
Draghi has made it clear he would like the job, but the major parties have yet to back him, fearing his decision could derail the fight against COVID-19 and the EU’s pandemic relief fund worth billions. could jeopardize efforts to obtain the euro.
“I am working to ensure that the centre-right presents not just one, but several quality proposals in the coming hours,” the league’s right-wing leader said. Matteo Salvini, Monday night, suggesting that there is no consensus on Draghi’s name.
Salvini was at the center of Monday’s cross-party talks, meeting separately with centre-left Democratic Party leader Enrico Letta and former prime minister Giuseppe Conte, who leads the 5-star movement, the biggest force in parliament. .
After meeting with Letta, Salvini and Conte said they were “working on some options” and would meet again on Tuesday. 5 Stars said that there was an agreement on the need to find a mutually acceptable candidate who “united the country”.
The winner needs a two-thirds majority in any of the first three rounds of voting, after which a simple majority is sufficient.
If Draghi becomes head of state, an agreement will be needed on who should replace him as prime minister to avoid prolonged political paralysis.
