"It's a difficult time. We have to live up to it“, said Mario Draghi in his first speech as appointed Premier. The official announcement had arrived a few minutes earlier. The President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella gave Draghi the job to form a new government. The former ECB number one accepted using the traditional "reserve" formula.
"Winning the pandemic, completing the vaccination campaign, offering answers to daily problems, relaunching the country are the challenges. We have the extraordinary resources that come from the European Union and we can do a lot for the future of the country, we have the possibility of operating with an attentive eye to future generations and social cohesion", declared Draghi in the press conference held at the Quirinale after the interview with Mattarella. A long and thorough meeting, which lasted more than an hour.
Then a first relaxing message to the parties: “With great respect, I will address Parliament first: I am confident that from the confrontation with the parties and parliamentary groups and from the dialogue with the social forces, unity will emerge and with it the ability to give a responsible and positive response to the request of the President of the Republic", said the former president of the Bank Central European.
President Mattarella had announced last night the summoning of Draghi following the failure of the consultations entrusted to the Speaker of the Chamber, Roberto Fico.
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THE POSITION OF M5S AND PD
After leaving the Quirinale, Draghi spent half an hour in Montecitorio talking with the Speaker of the Chamber, Roberto Fico. Immediately afterwards he went to Palazzo Giustiniani to meet the Speaker of the Chamber, Elisabetta Casellati. Third stop Palazzo Chigi, for a meeting with Giuseppe Conte, which unusually lasted two hours.
In the next few hours Draghi will start new consultations between the parties to seek the necessary support in Parliament. Not an easy mission given that, the political leader of the Movement 5 Stars, Vito Crimi, has already made it known that his party will not support the technical government led by Draghi, statements confirmed a little while ago by Beppe Grillo. For the moment, the former foreign minister, Luigi di Maio, remains silent. At this point it will be necessary to see if the Five Stars - which currently have 190 deputies and 90 senators - will be able to consolidate or if they will face further splits that many observers already define as "incurable". AdnKronos also revealed that the now ex Premier Giuseppe Conte he reassured the 5 Stars about his possible institutional involvement in the new government led by Draghi: "I would never accept a ministry". But it is not irrelevant to understand whether Conte will get in the way of Draghi's attempt hoping to come back to the surface or will favor the approach of the Five Stars to the president in charge.
Of course, however, the support for Draghi by the Democratic Party. In an interview given to Huffington Post, the former Minister of Cultural Heritage Dario Franceschini (Pd) launched an appeal to the 5 Star Movement: “I am confident that reflection will make tomorrow possible, what appears complex today. Today I say to the friends of the Five Stars: be careful, in the face of even more serious problems, not to overthrow the parties; be careful, in the face of a call like that of Mattarella and the willingness of a personality like Draghi not to produce a paradoxical outcome: the majority splits and the right is available out of a sense of responsibility ”.
Of the same opinion also the secretary of the Pd, Nicola Zingaretti:” We must not lose the strength and potential of an alliance with the 5 Star Movement and with Leu based on common proposals on the future of Italy. To address these issues, we will ask for a meeting with the Movimento 5 Stelle and Leu in the next few hours".
Just from Leu comes the answer of Roberto Speranza, according to which it is necessary that the political forces that made up the former majority "face the current political crisis in a coordinated way".
In favor of Draghi they should certainly take sides too Italia Viva, Action and +Europe.
THE POSITION OF THE CENTER-RIGHT
The summit of the center who tried to find a compromise between the probable No of Fratelli d'Italia and the Yes of Forza Italia. The position of the League will therefore be decisive. The leader of the Carroccio, Matteo Salvini, has not yet closed the door, stating that his green light will be conditioned by the guarantees that Draghi will be able to provide on the technical government program. “We are educated people, we are realistic, we know that the country needs answers. We will go to Draghi to listen, propose and evaluate. Unlike the left, we have no prejudices. The center-right is united and will listen to Draghi,” Salvini said, announcing that the coalition will present itself united to the consultations.
“In perfect coherence with what we said to the Head of State, that is that we would have valued a possible alternative with great respect, we say that this is what we will do. Draghi's job is a job given to a high-profile person. We will evaluate proposals, ideas and contents. Then we will evaluate what to do, it being understood that the Italians need to address two priorities: the economic emergency and the health emergency”, these are the words of Antonio Tajani (Forza Italia) at the end of the meeting with the other center-right leaders.
THE REACTION OF THE STOCK MARKET
If there are still doubts about the reactions of the political parties, the Stock Exchange has already lifted any reservations. Since the first trades, Piazza Affari has kicked into high gear and less than an hour after the close of the markets, it has gained 2% to 22.508 points, driven by thebank exploits. The spread fell, traveling down by 7,36% to 105 basis points.
(Last update: 16.50 pm on 3 February).
