–Early vote ‘measure of last resort’
–Draghi could seek new vote of confidence
–President Mattarella to appeal to ‘sense of duty’ of all parties
By Silvia Marchetti
ROME (MaceNews) – Italy has been shaken by yet another political crisis after the co-ruling 5 Stars Movement refused to take part in a key vote on confidence on Thursday, for the first time withdrawing its support to the cabinet of premier Mario Draghi and paving the way to the risk of an early plebiscite.
Even though Draghi won the confidence vote Thursday, the 5 Stars’ move officially put an end to the current ruling majority coalition composed of 5 fractious parties, and potentially an end to Draghi’s tenure as prime minister unless the head of state intervenes and demands the current premier stay on, according to party sources.
“It is clear that Draghi still has the numbers to keep ruling in both branches of parliament, even without the 5 Stars, thanks to his wide national unity cabinet. But he no longer has the political consensus, and ‘untouchability’ he requires from those who were meant to be his allies, and this marks a line,” said a Democratic official.
Draghi himself has made it clear that he will not rule with a smaller majority – hence the reason why he wanted to test his allies through a vote of confidence on economic measures to shield families and firms from galloping inflation and the Ukraine war fallout.
A 5 Stars source said that the decision to withhold support in the vote of confidence did not necessarily mean that the party would continue to withhold its support to the government in future, but stressed that it was a necessary to mark its distance from Draghi on economic priorities.
All ruling parties – the Democrats, the rightist League party and Forza Italia group of Silvio Berlusconi, and even minor group Italia Viva of former premier Matteo Renzi – share Draghi’s stance: either it’s going to be Draghi premiership till 2023, with the same ruling majority bar the 5 Stars, or best head to a risky, but necessary, early public vote in autumn.
“Now that the 5 Stars have clearly expressed their opposition to the government, this majority has no sense in surviving. It’s over”, noted a League source.
Following the vote of confidence, Draghi met with head of state Sergio Mattarella to discuss potential scenarios, and now the fate of Italy lies in the hands of the president, noted a Democrat source.
Mattarella will do all that is in his constitutional power to avoid the risk of an early vote in September or October, instead of in 2023 when the legislature will naturally come to an end, as Italy grapples with rising energy bills, a pandemic resurgence and key European union aid to speedily invest in the recovery.
The president will likely ask Draghi to stay on and test once again his existing majority through a new, ad hoc vote of confidence in both branches of parliament, in which all parties will have to take responsibility for their actions.
Only once Draghi, and Mattarella, both acknowledge that there are no grounds to continue with the current majority, or a slightly reshuffled one in parliament, could Mattarella summon a round of party talks to weigh whether a ‘care-taker’ cabinet, headed by another technocrat, could steer Italy to the next scheduled vote in 2023.
A Democratic official noted that it would be “a disaster” to call an early election ahead of autumn, with the next budget law, and fiscal targets, yet to define containing key measures for next year.
“There’s also the huge risk of not meeting the EU direct aid scheme investment targets, we just got the first €21 billion tranche of support while the second tranche should land this summer”, added the official.
Potential replacements for Draghi include finance minister Daniele Franco who has been handling the EU direct aid funds, and constitutional judge and former Italian premier Giuliano Amato.