Current Italian senator, former prime minister and head of the political party ‘Italia Viva’ (IV), Matteo Renzi gives a press conference on January 13, 2021 in the Italian Chamber of Deputies in Rome.
ALBERTO PIZZOLI | AFP | Getty Images
LONDON – Former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi announced on Wednesday his intention to withdraw his centrist party from the governing coalition, plunging the country back into political chaos as it fights the resurgence of the coronavirus.
Speaking at a long-awaited press conference, Renzi said that two ministers from his Italia Viva party would resign. This leaves the government without a majority in parliament and on the verge of collapse.
The support of Renzi’s party was instrumental in the survival of the coalition led by the anti-establishment Five Star movement and the center-left Democratic Party.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said he hoped Renzi would not withdraw his cabinet ministers, warning that the country would not be able to understand why the government collapsed in the midst of the ongoing health crisis.
The Five Star Movement and the Democratic Party also called on Renzi to preserve the unity of the ruling government at a time when the country is trying to vaccinate its citizens and prevent the economy from further deteriorating.
The southern European nation is experiencing political conflicts, tensions and scandals. Scarce majorities in Rome have spawned more than 60 governments since World War II.
However, the latest political dispute is coming at a particularly painful time, with the number of coronavirus infections and deaths in Italy currently among the highest in Europe. The disagreement revolves around EU funds and how they will relaunch the Italian economy after the pandemic.
To date, Italy has recorded 2.3 million cases of Covid-19 and 79,819 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
The country’s gross domestic product is expected to fall by around 10% in 2020.