Italian President Sergio Mattarella announced on Thursday that he has dissolved parliament and will call early elections after Prime Minister Mario Draghi resigns.
“The political situation has led to this decision,” Mattarella said in a short televised speech hours after Draghi stepped down from his post.
The leaders of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies, Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati and Roberto Fico respectively, traveled this afternoon to the Quirinal Palace (in Rome), the seat of the Italian Presidency, to mark the beginning of the process of the early dissolution of the two chambers of parliament, as provided for in Article 88 of the Italian Constitution.
Mattarella concluded the current term of office, which was due to end in March 2023, after Draghi tendered his resignation (twice within a week) after losing the support of some parties that were part of the current ruling coalition.
The elections must take place within 70 days of the dissolution of parliament, which means that the vote can take place on September 18 or 25.
Draghi, the former president of the European Central Bank (ECB) who agreed to lead a coalition of national unity in February 2021, initially lost support from the five-star movement (M5S, anti-system), the political force of the former prime minister. Giuseppe Conte who refused to provide parliamentary support to the aid packages defended by the executive to mitigate the effects of inflation.
This was followed by the League of Matteo Salvini (far right) and Forza Italia of Silvio Berlusconi (center right), who opted to leave the Senate on Wednesday, refusing to support a vote of confidence in Draghi.
In any case, Draghi and his ministerial team will remain in office until a new government is formed.
The procedures stipulate that after the head of state declares the dissolution of the two parliamentary chambers, the incumbent executive will convene a council of ministers to determine the scope of the action and choose a date for the elections.
Next, Draghi and the Interior Minister, Luciana Lamorgese, go to the Quirinal Palace to communicate the agreed date to the president, who will issue a second decree with the summons.
Source: El heraldo
John Cameron is a journalist at The Nation View specializing in world news and current events, particularly in international politics and diplomacy. With expertise in international relations, he covers a range of topics including conflicts, politics and economic trends.
