Wednesday’s day in the Senate had been endless, confused and dramatic, until its unexpected outcome: the loss of majority for Mario Draghi, head of the Italian government for a year, five months and six days. The next morning, after a short night’s sleep, the actors met at the Montecitorio palace (seat of the Chamber of Deputies) in a less overexcited atmosphere, but not without gravity. During a very short speech, the Chairman of the Board, Mario Draghi, announced that he would “to go to the Quirinal to announce his decision”. Then he left, smiling and obviously moved, not without thanking those who were cheering him on with a somewhat sentimental joke: “Sometimes central bankers also use their hearts. » He then went to the Quirinal to hand in the resignation of his government. In a statement read by his spokesperson, President Mattarella “taken note”adding that in the immediate future the Draghi government remained in place to expedite current affairs.
The outcome was no longer in doubt since the vote the day before in the Senate. Certainly, with 95 yes and 38 no, the motion of support for Mario Draghi, which had been tabled by Senator Pier Ferdinando Casini, was adopted. Thus the government he leads has not suffered the affront of being outvoted, and could, in theory, continue its work.
The Draghi government ceased to exist
But at the same time, the total number of votes he obtained is well below the theoretical absolute majority (161 seats). Worse still, with the decision of three of the most important components of his majority – the 5 Star Movement (antisystem), the League (far right) and Forza Italia (moderate right) – not to take part in the vote, the president of the Italian council can hardly ignore that its government has ceased to exist.
For the former President of the European Central Bank (ECB), who had already presented his resignation (refused by the Presidency of the Republic) on July 14, against a backdrop of open conflict with the 5-Star Movement, the crisis is over. However, he decided not to resign immediately. Wednesday evening, around 8:30 p.m., when his car left the Chigi palace (presidency of the council), several Italian media immediately announced that Mario Draghi was going to see the president, Sergio Mattarella, to formally present his resignation. Nothing like it: the car never arrived on the Quirinal hill, and it vanished into the Roman night… Rather than resign immediately, the head of government chose to speak to the Chamber of the deputies the next morning, before going to the Quirinal, no doubt so that eyes will linger a few more hours on the authors of the coup de force.
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