Italy’s government crisis: Majority against new elections

While parties in Rome struggle to find a way out of the government crisis, a majority of Italians oppose early parliamentary elections. According to an opinion poll published by the Romanian newspaper “La Repubblica”, 53 percent oppose holding new elections in the fall.

According to the poll conducted by the opinion research institute Izi Spa, 51 percent of respondents support Prime Minister Mario Draghi remaining in office with a coalition different from the current one.

55.5 percent believe that if Draghi resigns, a government of experts should be formed to lead Italy until the end of the legislature in the spring of 2023. According to the polling institute, the majority of respondents believe that the parties are unable to find a new prime minister at the level of Draghi.

Lots of conversations and requests

Meanwhile, the search for a solution to the crisis is taking place on many levels and in countless discussions. The Forza Italia party surrounding former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is pressing Draghi to stay in office without the left-populist Five Star Movement, which ignited the government crisis on Thursday. Otherwise one for fresh elections. Lega does not rule out new elections either. On the other hand, the Social Democrats do not see any new elections on the horizon, according to their president Enrico Letta.

Meanwhile, the small party Italia Viva, which is also involved in governance, has begun a set of signatures in which Draghi will be required to stay. The party surrounding former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi hopes to collect 100,000 signatures by Wednesday. There are currently more than 30,000.

Deadline Wednesday

Prime Minister Draghi will report on the political situation on Wednesday. He wants to check if the conditions to remain in the position are available, otherwise he will resign. President Sergio Mattarella had rejected Draghi’s previously announced resignation and asked him to report to Parliament on the political situation.

“If the conditions are not met on Wednesday, parliament will be dissolved and we will vote around September 25,” said Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, who left the Five Star Movement a month ago and formed his own parliamentary group. With parliament dissolved, Di Maio said, EU funds for post-pandemic reconstruction threaten to be lost.

According to dpa, several mayors of major Italian cities have asked Draghi in an open letter to continue governing, including Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri, Pepe Sala of Milan and nine other counterparts. The eleven politicians – most of them Social Democrats – demanded the ruling parties in Parliament to act in the interest of the country and its problems.