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- The Prime Minister of Italy, Giuseppe Conte, will resign as expected, according to official information.
- Conte has submitted his resignation to President Sergio Mattarella.
- Now Mattarella has to decide how to proceed; there are several options on the table.
Conte met this morning with President Sergio Mattarella after presenting his resignation. The president will take time to make decisions and has asked the government to remain in office to deal with current affairs, according to a statement.
Conte’s resignation was officially confirmed by the Quirinal Palace, the president’s official residence in Rome. Italy is heading for another power play amid the crown pandemic and the dispute for billions in aid from the EU.
Conte not yet canceled
With his resignation, Conte is not necessarily canceled: President Mattarella could entrust him with forming a new alliance. Conte’s last remaining coalition partner wants to continue ruling with him.
Before notifying Mattarella, the 56-year-old nonpartisan lawyer had informed his cabinet of the resignation. The first negotiations on the formation of a new government are due to begin this Wednesday.
Mattarella initially reserved the right to decide whether Conte would again receive the mandate to form a government.
More options
Former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s Italia Viva abandoned the center-left alliance on January 13 in the dispute over the use of EU aid funds and plunged the government into a crisis.
The result was a vote of confidence in parliament, in which the government managed to pass, but came out weakened. The greatest retention of power was held on shaky legs. Conte would therefore have to find new partners for his third cabinet, which had already proven difficult to gather the votes for the vote of confidence.
If there is no majority for an alliance, an expert government could also be considered. Initially, this could maneuver the country through the most pressing problems, such as the presentation of a plan in Brussels to obtain significant funds from the EU reconstruction fund. Italy urgently needs this to get the country back on track in terms of economy and infrastructure after the crown crisis.
The other option would be to hold early elections. In reality, the citizens of Italy would not be asked to vote until 2023. The elections are mainly supported by right-wing opposition parties. Above all, Matteo Salvini is hoping for enough votes to be able to provide a government majority to former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi’s conservative Forza Italia and right-wing Fratelli d’Italia, an option that current president and social democrat Mattarella should not. like not at all.
