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Tuesday, 24 December 2024
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Italy heads to 4th round of voting to elect new president
Italy Florence/Pixabay

The Xinhua reported that Italy headed to the fourth round of voting to elect a new president, after the third one on Wednesday proved inconclusive.

Italian lawmakers and regional representatives -- which make an assembly of more than 1,000 "grand electors" tasked with the choice of the next head of state -- have so far failed to agree on a single candidature.

Some 412 blank ballots were cast on Wednesday, which signaled doubts were still strong about who would be the aptest figure to replace President Sergio Mattarella, whose seven-year term will end on Feb. 3.

A broader consensus was still the main goal claimed by the two main coalitions in the parliament -- the center-left and the center-right -- thus talks within each alliance and between main leaders of the two groups reportedly intensified on Wednesday.

Italy-Sicily/Pixabay
Italy-Sicily/Pixabay

Yet, the path towards solving the deadlock might prove easier from Thursday on. After a two-thirds majority required by the constitution in the first three rounds, a simple majority, or at least 505 votes, will be enough starting from the fourth round.

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The president in Italy is traditionally a ceremonial figure that plays a balancing role within the institutional landscape.

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However, the role becomes crucial in cases of broad political instability, such as in the case of major deadlocks between the cabinet and the parliament.

Source: xinhua