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Key players rally behind Draghi in Italy’s government talks

Former European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi will on Saturday wrap up a first round of talks aimed at forming a new Italian government, hoping to drag the country out of its economic and Covid-19 crises.

Key players rally behind Draghi in Italy's government talks
Mario Draghi gives a press conference after a meeting with the Italian president, at the Quirinal palace in Rome on February 3rd. Photo: AFP

Summoned by President Sergio Mattarella this week after prime minister Giuseppe Conte's coalition collapsed, Draghi — dubbed “Super Mario” for extricating the eurozone from its debt crisis early last decade — has already rallied some political players behind him.

The centre-left Democratic Party (PD) and the small Italia Viva outfit of centrist former premier Matteo Renzi – the man behind the collapse of the last government – had promised support, as well as Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right Forza Italia (FI).

On Saturday, the far-right League led by Matteo Salvini — one of two heavyweight antiestablishment parties alongside the Five Star Movement (M5S) — signalled its readiness for the economist to form Italy's 67th government since World War II.

“We stand ready. We are the biggest political force in the country, we are a force that should be in government… unlike some, we don't think we can get ahead by always saying no,” Salvini said after meeting Draghi.

“I prefer to be on the inside and in control,” he said. While he did not reveal any conditions for joining a government, the former interior minister said his final decision would come after a second round of talks next week.

EXPLAINED: How are Italy's prime ministers chosen?

'Confidence of Europe'

'Draghi “already has the confidence of Europe and the markets. Soon he will receive parliament's confidence,” daily Il Corriere della Sera predicted.

Time is ticking as Italy must present plans for how it will spend around 200 billion euros ($241 billion) from the EU's pandemic recovery fund — the largest share for any single country — by the end of April.

Wolfango Piccoli of consulting firm Teneo agreed. “The question has somewhat shifted from 'if' Draghi could form a government to 'how' this government will be constituted, meaning which parties will be part of the coalition.”

Draghi's final weekend meeting was with the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S), which had backed Conte to the hilt with its roughly one-third of MPs and senators.

But saying he had always worked “for the good of the country,” Conte on Thursday promised not to be an “obstacle” to Draghi and wished him “good luck!”

PROFILE: Could 'Super Mario' Draghi lead Italy out of its crisis?

The League will have to overcome its reluctance to work with the PD and possible reservations about Draghi personally. The former central banker personifies a European elite that the nationalist, anti-immigration party and its counterparts across the bloc love to hate.

After finishing his first round of talks with politicians Saturday, Draghi will meet civil society groups like unions on Monday before tackling the parties again later next week.

Pandemic havoc

While the wrangling goes on, the European Union's third-largest economy is ailing from the effects of coronavirus after shrinking 8.9 percent last year – one of the sharpest drops in the eurozone single-currency area.

A harsh lockdown in March and April brought activity to a near-standstill after Italy became the first European nation to suffer a coronavirus wave.

So far Italy has recorded more than 90,000 Covid-19 deaths — the second-highest toll after Britain — and 2.6 million cases.

The more contagious British coronavirus variant has also been detected in some people testing positive.

If Draghi fails to secure a parliamentary majority or loses MPs' backing after taking office, Italy could hold early elections, probably in June.

But Mattarella, who would make such a call, said ON Tuesday that he wanted to avoid going to the polls while the country suffers through its health and economic shocks.

READ ALSO: Why do Italy's governments collapse so often?

 

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EU

Italy’s Meloni hopes EU ‘understands message’ from voters

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Saturday she hoped the European Union would understand the "message" sent by voters in last weekend's elections, after far-right parties such as hers made gains.

Italy's Meloni hopes EU 'understands message' from voters

Meloni, head of the post-fascist Brothers of Italy party, which performed particularly well in the vote, urged the EU to “understand the message that has come from European citizens”.

“Because if we want to draw lessons from the vote that everything was fine, I fear it would be a slightly distorted reading,” she told a press conference at the end of a G7 summit in Puglia.

“European citizens are calling for pragmatism, they are calling for an approach that is much less ideological on several major issues,” she said.

Meloni’s right-wing government coalition has vehemently opposed the European Green Deal and wants a harder stance on migration.

“Citizens vote for a reason. It seems to me that a message has arrived, and it has arrived clearly,” she said.

EU leaders will meet in Brussels on Monday to negotiate the top jobs, including whether European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen will get a second term.

Von der Leyen’s centre-right European People’s Party strengthened its grip with the vote, but her reconfirmation is not yet in the bag.

The 65-year-old conservative was in Puglia for the G7 and likely used the summit to put her case to the leaders of France, Germany and Italy.

But Meloni refused to be drawn on whom she is backing.

“We will have a meeting on Monday, we’ll see,” she told journalists.

“We will also see what the evaluations will be on the other top roles,” she said.

Italian political watchers say Meloni is expected to back von der Leyen, but is unlikely to confirm that openly until Rome locks in a deal on commissioner jobs.

“What interests me is that… Italy is recognised for the role it deserves,” she said.

“I will then make my assessments.”

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani indicated that it was unlikely any decision would be made before the French elections on June 30 and July 7.

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