The Italian government has been plunged into chaos after Prime Minister Mario Draghi failed to shore up support as key parties decided to boycott the confidence vote.
The national unity government of Draghi, who restored Italy's influence and credibility, fell apart on Wednesday, leaving the nation to head towards a new season of political chaos at a critical moment when the European Union is struggling to hold together a united front against Russia and revive its economies.
Fall of the Italian Government
Key parts of Draghi's coalition criticized the official on the Senate floor and abandoned him in a confidence vote on Wednesday evening. He was then expected to discuss his resignation on Thursday for a second, and almost certainly final, time in a week with Italian President Sergio Mattarella.
The prime minister's departure would amount to a stinging blow to both Italy and Europe as the former European Central Bank president used his statesmanlike stature to usher in a brief golden period for the nation after taking over as a caretaker prime minister in 2021, as per the New York Times.
Draghi led Italy out of some of the worst days of the COVID-19 pandemic, secured and planned for the spending of billions of euros in European recovery funds, and introduced numerous overhauls of sectors of the economy that had long escaped modernization. He was also considered an essential part of Europe's exceptionally unified stance against Russia's war on Ukraine.
However, that period of progress, unity, and expanded international influence for Italy was quickly giving way to politicking as usual, as the country faced the prospect of new elections as early as October. The elections could yield a government dominated by parties far more sympathetic to Russian President Vladimir Putin and more hostile to the European Union.
According to CNN, three parties boycotted the vote despite Draghi's calls for unity, the powerful 5-Star Movement, which is the largest party in the country's coalition government, center-right Forza Italia, and the far-right League.
Mario Draghi's Influence
Now, Draghi leads a fractured government teetering on the brink of collapse and his resignation has been expected. In a Twitter post, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said that the events represented "a black page for Italy."
Former Prime Minister Enrico Letta also criticized the outcome of the vote as "madness," saying that Parliament decided to go against Italy. Draghi asked lawmakers earlier on Wednesday to support the coalition government in an effort to avoid calling a snap election.
Draghi said that there needed to be a new pact of trust, which was sincere and concrete, similar to the one that has allowed Italy to change for the better. He added, "If we still want to stay together, the only way is to rebuild this (national unity) pact with courage, altruism, credibility."
Matteo Renzi, an ally of Draghi, was on the Senate floor when he said, "It's over," as the three major coalition members boycotted the confidence vote. Based on just numbers, Draghi prevailed in the vote, but due to the boycott, the three parties effectively torpedoed the unity government, the Washington Post reported.
Related Article:
