It was the last thing the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, wanted, but reality has prevailed. The head of state has decided this Thursday to dissolve the Chambers and for Italy to hold early elections in the fall. The chosen date was September 25. After the resignation, this morning, of Mario Draghi as prime minister, it was the only option available after having exhausted all possible combinations during this legislature. The Italian political crusher has engulfed even the former president of the European Central Bank.
“The early dissolution of Parliament is always the last choice, particularly if, as in this period, the Chambers must fulfill many tasks in the interest of our country. But the political situation has led to this situation”, explained Mattarella, very seriously, in an appearance at the Quirinal Palace.
Then it was up to the Italian government to set the date for the elections, which according to the Constitution must be held between 60 and 70 days after the dissolution of the Chambers. In the end, the day will be September 25, with which a brief and unprecedented electoral campaign is expected. Never before have Italians had to listen to political rallies under the umbrella.
But Mattarella is aware that the country cannot prolong the agony. It is urgent that next year's budget be approved as soon as possible, and if the new government is sworn in at the beginning of October, it would be in time to draft it. It is also imperative that Europe's third largest economy has a solid executive to face the expected difficult autumn, with the energy crisis stemming from the war in Ukraine, skyrocketing inflation and a growing social emergency. The objectives of the recovery plan cannot wait: Italy risks not continuing to receive funds from Brussels if it does not meet the deadlines.
In his speech, the Head of State recalled some of these emergencies, in particular the inflation caused by the cost of energy and food products, and warned that the acting Draghi government - which will remain in charge until install the next executive – must be able to intervene to minimize the social crisis resulting from the war in Ukraine.
And he has settled: "For these reasons I hope that, even in the intense and sometimes sharp dialectic of the electoral campaign, there will be, on the part of everyone, a constructive contribution on the aspects that I have indicated, in the best interest of Italy".
Draghi handed in his resignation this morning, this time irrevocably, after failing to convince the political parties in his proposal to rebuild the investiture pact. The 5 Star Movement (M5E) opened the crisis by refusing to vote on a decree that included a garbage incinerator in Rome, but who gave the final blow were Matteo Salvini's League and Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia, who at the last minute decided to leave the coalition and force elections in the face of polls that predict the victory of the right.
La Liga and Forza Italia have taken advantage of the chaos caused by the grillini to advance the elections, convinced that it is better to vote soon and ensure the victory of the right, even at the cost of giving Palazzo Chigi to Giorgia Meloni's far-right Brothers of Italy. By its internal rules, whoever comes first in the coalition has the privilege of choosing the prime minister. They will try to tell their voters that Draghi's end is not their fault but M5E's, but it remains to be seen if they believe them. According to the polls, the majority of his followers wanted the banker to continue. After all, most of the supporters of these parties are in the rich north of the country. Entrepreneurs and employees who right now are more concerned about inflation than immigration.
