Italy: Mario Draghi wants to try to form a government

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Mario Draghi after meeting President Sergio Mattarella in Rome

Photo: YARA NARDI / REUTERS

The government crisis in Italy is headed for a way out: the former head of the European Central Bank (ECB), Mario Draghi, has accepted the mandate to form a new government that President Sergio Mattarella has offered him.

Draghi says he now wants to try to form a majority in parliament.

In a short statement, he announced that Italy was experiencing a "difficult moment".

He will look "with great respect," as the will of the people is expressed in parliament.

On Tuesday, exploratory talks for a new edition of the previous government alliance of the center-left parties failed.

Mattarella had then invited the 73-year-old Draghi to talks about an expert government in his official residence.

The President urged the parties in Parliament to support such a solution.

Five Star Movement opposes Draghi

However, negative signals came from the largest parliamentary group on Wednesday night.

The five-star movement previously involved in the government does not want an expert government, said its top man Vito Crimi.

One would "not vote for the creation of a professional government under the chairmanship of Mario Draghi".

This type of government had already been set up in the past, "with extremely negative consequences for Italian citizens."

Former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi from the small party Italia Viva, however, expressed his support for Draghi.

The leader of the Democratic Party, Nicola Zingaretti, was also "open to a dialogue for the good of the country."

Renzi had brought down the coalition of the former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.

The alliance broke up in the dispute over the use of corona aid funds from the EU for economic reconstruction.

Draghi, who is known as the »euro savior« from the crisis of the common currency in 2012, had been in discussion for some time as head of government in Rome.

The bank manager headed the ECB from 2011 to 2019.

Now he has to find majorities in both chambers of parliament - or give up the mandate to form a government again.

Head of state Mattarella spoke out against quick elections on Tuesday.

Italy needed fully functional leadership in the corona pandemic, he said.

As one of the most important tasks of the cabinet, the president named the completion of the plans for the use of over 200 billion euros in EU aid funds for the reconstruction after the corona crisis.

Italy must submit an investment plan in order to receive the grants.

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mes / dpa / AFP / Reuters