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Italian PM Mario Draghi confirms resignation
A statement from the Italian president’s office said, Prime Minister Mario Draghi resigned on Thursday (July 21) after the ruling coalition collapsed. Draghi’s government will remain as a caretaker until a new one is formed.
The office reported after the meeting, Draghi met with President Sergio Mattarella to tender his resignation. The government will continue to work for now to “deal with current affairs.”
The prime minister wanted to resign last week, but Mattarella blocked the move in a last-ditch effort to save the coalition, the RT reported.
A according to Italy’s ANSA news agency, the parliament is now set to be dissolved, paving the way for a snap election.
Draghi, who was appointed PM in February 2021, survived a no-confidence vote in the Senate, the upper house of Italy’s parliament, on Wednesday, but three of the coalition parties boycotted the vote.
This meant that Draghi’s government had lost the parliamentary majority, and the coalition was no longer workable.
When taking office last year, Draghi was tasked by Mattarella to form a unity government that would involve nearly all parties across the political spectrum.
Italian Prime Minister Draghi to see president, expected to resign
However, the support for the PM deteriorated over time as the Five Star Movement, one of the principal coalition partners, quarreled with Draghi, criticizing the response to the economic crisis and demanding more state aid to families and businesses.
The Five Star Movement is a political party in Italy. Its leader and president is Giuseppe Conte, former Prime Minister of Italy from 2018 until 2021.
levantnews-rt
