Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte gives a press conference on July 7, 2020 in Rome, Italy.
AM POOL | Getty Images News | Getty Images
LONDON – Italy faces more political turmoil after Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte resigned on Tuesday, at a time when the country is facing a serious economic and health crisis.
Italy has been involved in political uncertainties for the past three weeks after a small party, Italia Viva, decided to leave the coalition government led by Conte. The executive break came after a dispute over EU pandemic recovery funds and how they are disbursed, which left the country unstable.
Earlier Tuesday, Conte, who has no political affiliation, told his ministers that he is stepping down. Conte then delivered his official resignation to President Sergio Mattarella. The president is said to have asked Conte to remain in charge of caretaker pending consultations on the formation of a new government.
However, the resignation is seen as an attempt to avoid a parliamentary defeat in a Senate vote later this week.
He narrowly survived a vote of confidence last week, but his government lost an active majority with the departure of Italia Viva – making it difficult to pass any major laws for the remainder of his term.
“Having failed in their desperate efforts to expand their majority, Conte and his government would be defeated in a new Senate vote, which is scheduled for January 27,” said Wolfango Piccoli, co-chairman of the consulting firm Teneo, in a Note .
He said Conte’s resignation was an attempt “to ensure his own political survival”.
Italian President Sergio Mattarella will have to decide whether to give Conte the chance to negotiate with lawmakers again, in search of a majority that will allow him to govern.
“Conte’s calculation is that by acting earlier and thus avoiding a humiliating defeat in the Senate later this week, he would increase his chances of getting a term from Mattarella to form a new government,” said Piccoli, while warning that ” it is currently unclear whether Conte can succeed in such an effort. “
If Italian lawmakers fail to agree on a new coalition government, with or without Conte as prime minister, voters will have to go to the polls sooner or later.
“The end result is that Italy will continue to be governed by an executive who is not fit for the difficult job ahead of him, just as it has been since the last election,” said Piccoli.
This is breaking news and is being updated.