Mario Draghi would have gladly stayed at Palazzo Chigi to 'get the job done', but was not allowed to. To say it is the former prime minister, in an interview with Corriere della Sera, in which he talks about the path at the helm of the country whose epilogue has left a sense of bitterness and disappointment in many. «After a lifetime, I had been called to do a job that was new to me – she said – and I did it to the best of my ability. I would therefore have gladly stayed to complete the work, if I had been allowed». "If I look at the challenges met and won in just twenty months of Government - he added - one has to smile at those who said that I wanted to leave, frightened by the hypothetical abyss of a recession which up to now has not been reflected in the data". “Italy has shown that it can do it and this year it is growing more than France and Germany”.
After months of silence, the former premier returns to speak and retraces his experience at Palazzo Chigi. He recalls the "difficult decisions" green passes, compulsory vaccination, support for Ukraine. On the Pnrr, "we have respected all the objectives of the first two semesters". On the Meloni government "it is not for me to judge".
Now, he says «I'm a grandfather». It is on future? "I'm not interested in political or institutional positions."
Draghi talks about the difficult decisions and results achieved by his government
In his 616 days the head of government had to make difficult decisions. For example, the green pass and the vaccination obligation. «I knew they were limitations on individual freedoms, but they were necessary to guarantee everyone the right to health, especially the most fragile. It was equally difficult to choose to reopen schools in April last year: they compared me to Bolsonaro, they said we would cause a health catastrophe. But the epidemic remained under control and the children returned to school on an ongoing basis. Finally, the immediate and convinced support for Ukraine: the risks of a Russian retaliation were evident, but we could not turn away from those who had brought the war back to Europe".
With regard to the energy crisis, the former head of the ECB talks about the price cap, a proposal strongly supported by Italy and by Draghi in the first place. "The agreement on a gas price ceiling reached in recent days is an important result, for which Italy has been fighting for months: now it must be applied effectively". But it doesn't end there. "It is a priority that governments continue to protect the most fragile: in this regard, new European initiatives would be appropriate, which follow the common fund to support the labor market adopted during the pandemic".
He then speaks of the results of the social and economic agenda of the Executive which he had "the honor of presiding over". «Istat data tell us that this year our family policies have reduced inequality. In addition, the unemployment rate fell to 2022% in October 7,8 and the employment rate rose to 60,5%, "a historic record". «We were also close to the introduction of the minimum wage and the reform of the basic income, to make it work better. But this is the past, now we need to look forward».
Onglobal economy, Draghi specifies: «This year we will grow by almost 4%, more than France and Germany, after the seven consecutive quarters of growth during my government. The public debt in these two years has dropped as never before in the post-war period, and Italy is the only large European country which, in recent years, has managed to increase its market shares in international exports».
Draghi comments on the last days of his government
The former president then retraces the phases that led to the fall of his executive «The government relied on the consensus of a vast coalition, which had decided to put aside its differences to allow Italy to overcome a period of emergency. So I didn't have my own party or my own parliamentary base. At a certain point, the willingness of the parties to find compromises failed, also due to the approaching natural expiry of the legislature". “As the months went by – continued Draghi – the majority that supported the government had fallen apart and various parties were dissociating themselves from decisions already taken in Parliament or in the Council of Ministers”.
And he gives some examples. "The Movement 5 Stars was increasingly opposed to military support for Ukraine, despite having initially supported this position in Parliament together with all the other political forces, and despite this being the line agreed with our allies at European level, G7 e NATO. Forza Italy e Alloy they were against aspects of some important reforms — taxation and competition — that had been given the go-ahead in the Cabinet. The League and the Five Star Movement were also clamoring for a budget deviation despite - as we are seeing - the economy and employment were going well".
Draghi then recalled the "judgment day" which led to his resignation. "In the few days that elapsed between the decision of the 5 Star Movement not to vote on the confidence in the"aid decree” and the debate on trust in the Senate, the wave of messages, such as that of the mayors, asking me to stay in the government had convinced me to seek a solution. I am still deeply grateful for these appeals, as well as for all the support I have received during my tenure. But the positions of the parties were now irreconcilable. For example, «the center-right was willing to go ahead, as long as the Five Star ministers left the government and were replaced by their representatives. However, the Pd he was unwilling to be part of what was to become a de facto centre-right government. Furthermore, since the consultations that preceded the formation of the government, I had made it clear that it would have been impossible for me to lead a government of national unity without the relative majority party in Parliament, the 5 Star Movement".
Dragons on the war in Ukraine: "Only Putin can stop the massacres"
And about the role of war in Ukraine, the former number one of the BC can't say what influence he had on the end of his mandate. «I don't know what role the war on Ukraine played. However, I note that today the M5S is against continuing military support to Ukraine, despite the fact that this was decisive in allowing Kiev to retake a significant portion of the country that had been occupied by the Russians". And on the prospects for peace, which are difficult for Draghi, «something has changed in the last period. But it is only Putin who can put an end to these massacres. We supported Ukraine immediately, with conviction. I was aware of the strong past ties between Italy and Moscow, but we could not remain unmoved. In Russia they probably counted on our ambiguity, which instead didn't exist».
Draghi on the Meloni government: "It's not for me to judge"
Sul Meloni government, Draghi does not go overboard, although there has been controversy between the two. “It's not for me to judge, especially not after such a short time. Giorgia Meloni proved to be an able leader and had a strong electoral mandate. Then some advice. «We need to be careful not to create a new negative international climate towards Italy. Maintaining our anchorage to Europe is the best way to multiply our international weight. I also think that discussions with the social partners, with local authorities and with the third sector must always be kept open. A comparison inspired by dialogue, by listening, by availability».
On the Pnrr, Draghi: "We met the deadlines"
And on the controversies for the delays inherited on Pnrr by the new government, Draghi is keen to point out that "all the objectives of the first two semesters, as certified by the European Commission" have been "respected". "This is the only indicator on which the disbursement of funds depends, which in fact took place on time". Then the regret. «I would have liked to complete the work we had carried out, and here I am referring in particular to the objectives of the second half of this year: we have achieved about half of them in the time given to us. The remaining objectives would certainly have been achieved before the end of this semester, as was the case in the previous two semesters. I believe that the current government is equally committed, and I have no reason to doubt that it will achieve all the objectives envisaged and necessary for the collection of the third installment".
