Italians ask Draghi to overcome political crisis, stay in office

Mario Draghi, the Italian prime minister, attends a news conference at the European Union Leaders Summit in Brussels (Belgium), 24 June, 2022.

Italy’s mayors and business leaders urged Prime Minister Mario Draghi to reconsider his decision to resign at the weekend, warning that the stability in the debt-laden nation was at risk.

Draghi resigned last week after the 5-Star Movement, one of his broad coalition parties, refused to support the government in a confidence vote.

President Sergio Mattarella refused to resign and asked him to address parliament next week in the hope of finding a consensus that would prevent early elections during a time when there was international turmoil and economic tension.

Draghi won the confidence vote easily on a package that aims to lower the cost of living for both families and businesses. He said that he could not continue his national unity government without the support of his partners.

Populist 5-Star, which is riven with internal divisions, claims it has not withdrawn form the coalition but has asked Draghi for guarantees that he will implement its policy priorities such as a minimum salary.

Giuseppe Conte, leader of 5-Stars, said late Saturday that "we cannot share the responsibility for government if it is not certain over the issues we have underlined."

According to a source within the office of the prime minister, Draghi refused to accept any "ultimatums" from anyone and was determined to resign.

He was pressured to reconsider his decision amid warnings that Italy could lose billions of euro in European Union post-pandemic Recovery Funds and would have trouble containing rising energy costs without a functioning government.

In an open letter, the mayors of 110 Italian cities including the top 10 metro areas said they were following the turmoil with "incredulity" and asked for responsibility from all sides.

They wrote: "We mayors are called upon daily to manage and solve the problems that affect our citizens."

A variety of trade, agricultural and industry associations released statements asking the government to continue while the head Italy's largest union stressed the importance of stability.

"I'm not taking sides, but I will tell you that we have a government which has not lost any confidence votes," Maurizio landini, the leader of the CGIL group, said to La Repubblica daily.

It was becoming increasingly difficult to overcome growing rancour within the government ranks and continue ploughing regardless, which made national elections in September/October a possible prospect.

Draghi was elected to office in 2021 and was charged with leading Italy through the COVID crisis. Opinion polls indicate that a bloc of conservative parties will win the majority. The legislature is set to expire in early 2023.

The League and Forza Italia are two of these parties and they welcome the fall of the coalition because of the possibility of winning an autumn ballot.

Both parties say they would be willing to remain in a Draghi cabinet, but only if the 5-Star is not in the government -- something Draghi has already rejected.