Italy’s new prime minister, Mario Draghi, promised to speed up the country’s coronavirus vaccination program by presenting his government’s priorities before a vote of confidence in the upper house of parliament on Wednesday.
In his long-awaited opening speech, Draghi, who took office on Saturday, said the government’s first duty was “to fight the pandemic by all means and to safeguard citizens’ lives.”
His promise came after Italy recorded another 336 deaths from coronavirus on Tuesday, bringing the total to 94,171 – the highest in Europe after the United Kingdom – and amid concerns about the rapid spread of Covid-19 variants.
“The virus is everyone’s enemy,” said Draghi. “It is in the memory of those who are no longer here that our commitment grows”.
Draghi, the former head of the European Central Bank, said the government must act quickly to obtain and distribute the Covid-19 vaccine. Italy administered more than 3 million vaccines on Wednesday morning, according to data from the Ministry of Health, but progress has been hampered by the delay in vaccine deliveries.
Deaths in Italy
Draghi’s other important task will be to pull Italy out of its worst recession since World War II, while implementing reforms – including reform of public administration, taxation and judicial systems – designed to stimulate economic growth.
He will also need to overhaul the spending program for the € 209 billion that Italy should receive from the EU’s post-Covid recovery fund to ensure that the money is spent wisely. Conflicts over a spending plan drawn up by the previous government, led by Giuseppe Conte, led to its collapse.
“The government will approve reforms and will also address the emergency,” he said. “In the meantime, we must deal with those who are suffering now, with those people who today are losing their jobs or are forced to close their businesses.”
Draghi said the government has the possibility and the responsibility to rebuild the country, as it did in the post-war period.
“Italy has recovered from the Second World War disaster with pride and determination and laid the foundation for an economic miracle thanks to investment and work,” he added.
The Italians, many of whom were irritated and perplexed by the political crisis that led to Draghi’s appointment, expect swift action from the new government.
Draghi is widely respected at home and abroad and has been dubbed “Super Mario” for his role in the economy of the European single currency. However, he faces a formidable challenge, not least because he will have to manage a broad coalition made up of diverse political forces and in constant dispute. Within hours of the government taking office on Saturday, there were clashes over the Health Minister’s last-minute decision to postpone the reopening of ski resorts, while scientists advising the government on the coronavirus pandemic were attacked by politicians for calling for a total national confinement statement.
Draghi ended his speech by appealing to unity: “Today, unity is not an option, it is a duty,” he said. “But it is a duty driven by what, I’m sure, unites us all – the love for Italy.”
Draghi has already secured strong support from a parliamentary majority and is expected to easily win the vote of confidence in the Senate, which is due to start at 10 pm CET. Another vote will take place in the Chamber of Deputies on Thursday, the last step necessary for the government to have full powers.