The deadline to receive a clear response on the wind blowing in the Italian crisis set by the President of the Italian Republic expires next Tuesday.
Sergio Mattarella commissioned the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Roberto Fico, to explore the possibility of forming a new government with the same political forces that made up the previous one.
And, by the way, that he returned with a clear idea about whether Giuseppe Conte could lead it again.
To date there was no other possible horizon.
During the weekend, however, a recurring name has returned to the scene, the only one capable of uniting all political forces: Mario Draghi.
The former president of the European Central Bank, as the Quirinal Palace has recognized to the press, has spoken these weeks with Mattarella.
The calls did not seek to probe his availability to head a government, the head of state has specified.
But they are in touch.
A fact that has opened the crossfire between parties for a name capable of generating a unanimous consensus and that the leader of Italia Viva, Matteo Renzi, would have in mind to head a unity Executive that could even support Matteo Salvini's League .
Well seen option
The four parties that made up the old Executive - 5 Star Movement (M5S), Democratic Party, Italia Viva y Libres e Iguales - are meeting these days to agree on a program and establish the real measure of the possibilities of reissuing a pact.
Once the agreement has been reached, Renzi has imposed, the name of the person who leads it may be discussed.
A very rebellious way of generating panic in his adversaries - the M5S and Conte himself - and of buying time to probe other possible candidates for the post of prime minister.
Draghi, 73, has never commented on the possibility of becoming prime minister.
His inclinations, rather, the few people who speak with him tell us, would go towards the presidency of the Republic.
Renzi, however, insists behind the scenes that commissioning Draghi would be a perfect solution.
Few people today express an opinion contrary to the Draghi hypothesis.
Within the PD like, also in the center-right and Italia Viva.
The Quirinal Palace would not see any obstacles, beyond the fact that the process opened up to now still points to a very touched Conte.
The president of the Chamber of Deputies, Roberto Fico, will meet again this Monday with the political parties that made up the political majority of the previous Executive to probe their availability to support Conte.
If the result is negative - and that answer would come mainly from Renzi - Mattarella should start to really probe other options on Tuesday.