The Italian parliament looks set to
be dissolved for early elections with Silvio Berlusconi's
centre-right Forza Italia (FI), Matteo Salvini's right-wing
League and he 5-Star Movement (M5S) failing to take part in a
confidence vote in the Senate on a resolution backing Premier
Mario Draghi.
The FI and League lawmakers did not attend the vote while the
Senators of the 5-Star Movement (M5S) did not take part in the
vote either, but remained in the chamber, apparently to prevent
the vote failing to reach quorum.
Draghi's government of national unity was thrown into crisis
last week when the M5S, an important part of the ruling
coalition, failed to back the government in a confidence vote on
a decree.
The premier presented his resignation after the M5S snubbed that
vote, but President Sergio Mattarella refused to accept and
asked him to report back to parliament.
Early on Wednesday the premier told the Senate that the "only
way forward" for his executive was "to reconstruct the pact of
trust" that it was founded on.
But the centre-right parties of the ruling coalition, led by the
League and Forza Italia (FI), effectively rejected that and
called for Draghi to form a new government without the M5S.
In the morning Draghi said he was trying to continue with his
government of national unity as he could not ignore the
"undeserved" array of appeals for him to stay on from a variety
of spheres, including business leaders, university deans and
voluntary associations.
He said he was most struck by the appeals for him to keep going
from around 2,000 mayors and from the health workers who have
been on the front line during the pandemic.
He pointed out that last week's confidence vote was only one
example of how the unity of the ruling coalition in backing the
government's agenda had faded in recent months.
Draghi referred to opposition from within the coalition to the
government's justice and competition reforms, an overhaul of the
values ascribed to properties in the land registry and
opposition form some quarters to Rome sending addition military
aid to Kyiv following the Russian invasion.
"The only road, if we still want to stay together, is to
reconstruct this pact from scratch with courage, altruism and
credibility," Draghi said in the morning.
The premier defended the achievements of his government of
national unity and outlined its eventual future aims.
"Italy has lots to say about going beyond the principle of
unanimity in the EU and budget (rule) reform," he said.
"But a strong, cohesive government is needed to do all this.
"Italy needs a new concrete, honest pact of development.
"Parties, are you ready to reconstruct this pact?
"We are in this chamber because the Italian people asked us to.
It is an answer that you must give not to me, but to all the
Italian people".
In the ensuing debate, Draghi came until fire from several
figures who suggested he was seeking to have unrestricted
powers.
"It's up to you," Draghi said in reply, appearing irked.
"I never asked for full powers".
Draghi had recalled that Mattarella asked him to form a
government of national unity early in 2021 after the collapse of
the previous executive to address the health, social and
economic emergency Italy was facing in the middle of the
COVID-19 pandemic.
But he stressed that a technocrat premier "who has never
presented themselves before voters (at elections) needs broad
support (from the political parties)".
Regional Affairs Minister Mariastella Gelmini said she was
quitting FI in protest at the position it had taken, saying the
party has turned its back on families and firms and given in to
Matteo Salvini.
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