Mario Draghi on Saturday secured preliminary support from two major parties to form a new government that will decide how to spend more than 200 billion euros (£ 175 billion) in European Union funds to help relaunch Italy’s pandemic-ravaged economy.
The 5-star populist movement and the right-wing League signaled support for a government led by Draghi, saying they were ready to put aside bitter rivalries for the good of the country and increase the potential for a broad-based government of national unity.
Draghi, 73, the former president of the European Central Bank, concluded a first round of negotiations with political parties this week. Another round is expected early next week for possible cabinet ministers and Draghi’s synthesis of his vision for the new government. He must also meet with unions, business lobbies and other members of civil society.
Italy’s president asked Draghi this week to form a government after the resignation of former premier Giuseppe Conte, who lost the support of a small but important coalition party. Before Saturday, Draghi got support from the Democratic Party, Forza Italia from ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi, Italy Live from ex-premier Matteo Renzi and the small Free and Equal party.
After their meetings with Draghi, the leader of the 5 Star Movement, Vito Crimi, and the leader of the League, Matteo Salvini, spoke about acting in the interests of Italy, the first western nation to be hit hard by the coronavirus. With the economic consequences of the pandemic still being accounted for, both acknowledged that they would have to put aside political rivalries and betrayals to do so.
“Let’s not forget the acts committed by some political forces, which are present in our memories and in our political committees,” said Crimi, in what seemed to be a reference to Renzi pulling the support of Italia Viva from the government coalition of Conte and triggering its collapse.
Likewise, Salvini, a former Interior Minister of Conte’s first government, noted that he would be sitting next to politicians who voted to waive his parliamentary immunity so that he could be brought to trial in Sicily for not allowing ships of rescue migrants landed in Italy when he was minister.
“We are ready to overcome everything in the country’s interest,” said Crimi of the 5-Star Movement, which secured the majority of votes in the last parliamentary elections of 2018 and a key element of both Conte governments, the first with the right League and the second with the left Democratic party.
Salvini’s move to support Draghi puts him in conflict with the extreme right party of the Brothers in Italy and its leader, Giorgia Meloni. She said on Friday that she would remain in the opposition. Salvini cited the weight of EU recovery funds needed to relaunch the Italian economy after a national blockade and subsequent public health restrictions.
“I prefer to be in the room where it is decided whether the money is used well or not, rather than being outside,” he said.
Crimi said that Italy will be judged by its European partners as to how it spends considerable funds and that 5-Stars wants to ensure that the money will be distributed “with honesty, transparency and in the exclusive interest of the well-being of citizens” .
“The world is watching us and will judge whether the country has changed,” said Crimi.
Italian enator Emma Bonino, who was previously an EU commissioner, said she hoped that bringing together parties from such a broad political spectrum would not dissolve into internal struggles.
“What we don’t want is for it to translate into yes to that, not to that, I can’t sit with him, ” she told SKY TG24. “The priorities need to be to complete the vaccination program, because otherwise the economy cannot be relaunched, and to reform or rewrite the EU’s fund plan.”