Sergio Mattarella was elected
Italy's new president on Saturday.
Lawmakers from both houses of parliament and regional
representatives broke into applause when the ex-minister, whose
candidacy was proposed by Premier Matteo Renzi's Democratic
Party (PD), crossed the mark of 505 votes needed to ensure he
had a simple majority of the so-called 'grand electors' in the
fourth ballot.
He becomes Italy's 12th president and replaces 89-year-old
Giorgio Napolitano, who resigned as head of State this month.
Mattarella, a 73-year-old who will now have to leave his
post as Constitutional Court justice, had the backing of several
parties in addition to the PD.
These included the opposition Left, Ecology and Freedom
(SEL) group and the New Centre Left (NCD) of Interior Minister
Angelino Alfano.
Three-time premier Silvio Berlusconi's opposition,
centre-right Forza Italia was opposed to Mattarella and ordered
its members to cast blank papers.
The anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) voted for
magistrate Ferdinando Imposimato.
The right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) and Northern League
parties voted for journalist Vittorio Feltri.
The first three rounds of voting for a new president, when
a two-thirds majority was needed, were inconclusive after the PD
and FI told their members to cast blank papers.
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