Italy flirts with another government crisis

An aroma at the end of the legislature has once again strongly invaded the kitchen of Italian politics this week.

The parties, eager to set their own profile after 16 diluted months in Mario Draghi's unity government, are beginning to hyperventilate at the prospect of the upcoming spring elections.

He is accused in particular by the 5 Star Movement (M5S, in its acronym in Italian), plunged into a process of internal decomposition after the last major split led by the current Foreign Minister, Luigi Di Maio.

The leadership of former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte is increasingly weak and the hawks in the party ask him to break with the Executive as soon as possible.

Italy is at the opposite end of any idea of ​​political certainty,

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The 'Draghi effect' loses some of its magic

The image of Draghi sitting on a bench and talking on the phone while the rest of the leaders enjoyed the masterpieces of the Prado Museum during the last NATO summit in Madrid sums up the situation.

But the crisis now depends exclusively on the M5S, which is pressuring the prime minister to accept new conditions in the decrees to help citizens.

At first glance, it would be mere pretexts to force the head of government to bow to the

.

But requests are in writing.

Conte gave Draghi this week a letter with nine points of theoretical mandatory compliance to remain in the Executive.

M5S sources explain the situation to this newspaper in this way: “Conte has raised issues with Draghi that are fundamental for us.

Especially for aid to families and companies.

We know that in the fall the economic crisis will be an emergency and we cannot watch without doing anything.

The ball is in the court: our permanence in the Government will depend on the answers it will give us.

In the M5S there is a lot of discomfort, but Conte believes that there is no need to break with the Executive.

To remain, however, we need unequivocal answers and signals.”

Something that calms the bases, in short.

The situation, seen like this, begins to be limit.

Draghi will not be able to satisfy the nine points that Conte proposes, but he will have to give an answer at the end of July.

In the environment of the prime minister, however, they try to play down the tension and do not believe that these turbulences are different from the previous ones.

The same sources trust that it is a need for media exposure of a leader in low hours.

They have already gone through similar situations, they point out, and they are serene.

“The meeting the other day was positive and constructive.

The president is studying the document delivered by Conte.

And the impression is that many points have continuity with government action.

This government goes ahead if there is national unity and the presence of the M5S.

The president considers the contribution of the M5S very important”, points out Draghi's entourage.

are right now a ticking time bomb out of control.

Conte, as M5S sources point out, does not want to break up the government now.

He is terrified that he will be associated with Matteo Salvini and that crisis that he provoked in the middle of the summer of 2019 with a mojito in hand at Papeete, a beach bar on the Adriatic coast from which he broke the first government created between the League and the M5S.

“That's not his style.

And he was twice prime minister.

He does not want to be remembered as an unconscious person who put the stability of the country at risk at such a delicate moment, ”explains a person who has spoken with him in recent hours.

The problem is that the hard part of the game pushes him towards the break.

"We have little to lose and in government we will end up disappearing," says one of the party members who would like to leave the Executive.

The frightening of the M5S would not be final in numerical terms in Parliament.

The President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, could propose to the current Prime Minister that he form another Executive without the

.

The numbers would continue to add up if other games, such as La Liga, were not added to Conte's departure.

But that is another of the main fears: if Salvini smelled blood, he should also think about looking for his profile outside the Executive.

Draghi has publicly warned that if the rupture occurs, his government would cease to make sense and the legislature would be terminated.

If there is any way out, elections would be called.

"I am not willing to lead a government with another parliamentary majority," he warned on June 30.

The general secretary of the Democratic Party (PD), Enrico Letta, also stated on Friday that his party would not participate in any other government this legislature.

But the Italian autumn will be eventful.

And no one is in a position to fulfill electoral promises or threats.

Nothing new, in this sense, under the July sun in Italy.

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