Italy’s president, Sergio Mattarella, dissolved parliament on Thursday (21), which automatically means early elections, which will take place on September 25.
Mattarella declared in front of television cameras that “the political situation led to this decision,” referring to the end of the National Unity Alliance that supported the government led by economist Mario Draghi.
“I ratified the decree dissolving the two chambers with the aim of calling for new elections within a maximum period of 70 days,” Mattarella said, noting that this decision is always the “last option.”
Mattarella thanked Draghi and his ministers for the work done during the “eighteen months” of the government. He also noted that the economic situation and the cost of energy and food “do not allow for many breaks” and warned that there were still many measures to be taken.
Considered the savior of the Eurozone in 2012, Mario Draghi was appointed Prime Minister of Italy in February 2021 to rescue Italy from the health, political and economic emergency it was going through. He threw the towel on Thursday, exhausted by controversies within his coalition.
A political crisis has been brewing for months in Rome, against the backdrop of the internal struggles of the anti-regime 5-Star Movement (M5E). In the end, the heterogeneous alliance that supported her, which moved from right to left, collapsed.
The end of the executive branch led by Draghi could benefit, above all, the right-wing coalition led by the post-fascist Fratelli d’Italia (Brothers of Italy), led by Giorgia Meloni. Opinion polls point to a comfortable victory in the elections.
This morning, much applauded in the House of Representatives, Draghi immediately requested a suspension of the session to travel to the Quirinal Presidential Palace, arriving shortly after 9:15 a.m. local time (04:15 a.m. in Brasilia) to inform him of the “decision” of President Sergio Mattarella. .
The dissolution of Parliament was the expected result after Forza Italia, Silvio Berlusconi’s right-wing party, Matteo Salvini’s far-right League and the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5E) refused to participate in the vote. by the Prime Minister in the Senate.
The fall of “Super Mario”, designed to save Italy in February 2021 at a time of social, economic and health crisis, provoked strong reactions across the peninsula.
The headline of La Repubblica was “Betrayal of Italy”, while La Stampa, which is close to industrialists, only wrote “shame” on the entire page.
According to opinion polls, the majority of Italians wanted Draghi to remain in his post, which is one of the reasons for his resignation on Wednesday and the failure to confirm his first resignation. However, he failed to persuade the parties in his coalition to stand around a government “charter” he proposed in a long and intense speech before the Senate.
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The right-wing parties that were part of the executive branch hoped to win the elections and decided to oust the prime minister on the pretext of unwillingness to rule alongside the Five Star Movement.
In turn, the anti-regimes, which began the crisis last week, considered that several points of the laws proposed by Draghi contradict his principles and that all measures taken during his previous government have been dismantled.
The end of the executive branch of unity may benefit, above all, the right-wing coalition led by the post-fascist Fratelli d’Italia (Brothers of Italy) party, led by Giorgia Meloni, which, according to opinion polls, will comfortably win the early elections.
“We are ready. This nation urgently needs to regain its conscience, its pride and its freedom,” Giorgia Meloni, 45, a veteran leader of the far-right who could become Italy’s future prime minister, wrote on Thursday.
This prospect worries Europeans, as their party, the Brothers of Italy, which holds 24% of voting intentions, is calling for a revision of EU treaties and even their replacement with a “union of sovereign states”.
European Economics Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni called the defection of the coalition parties “irresponsible”, while Brussels and its European partners have pressured Draghi to remain in office.
Markets are watching the situation carefully. The cost of Italy’s debt rose again and the Milan stock exchange closed down 1.6% on Wednesday, a sign of concern over uncertainty in the euro zone’s third-largest economy.
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