Italy’s parliament will make a fifth attempt to elect a new president on Friday, with party chiefs appearing to be more confident of finding a mutually acceptable candidate for the powerful post.
Prime Minister Mario Draghi remains a candidate but his prospects for victory have dimmed this week, with many lawmakers clearly reluctant to back him, in part because they fear any change in government could trigger early elections.
Much is at stake. The Italian presidency has a seven-year term and considerable power to resolve political crises that regularly hit the country, including the appointment of prime ministers and the dissolution of parliament.
Matteo Salvini, leader of the right-wing League, told reporters that ahead of Friday’s vote, he would propose to left-of-center parties several high-profile non-partisan figures with national and international appeal.
“I am confident that tomorrow will be the day of victory”, he said.
Former prime minister Matteo Renzi, who leads the centrist Italia Viva party, also said he hoped a president would be elected on Friday.
While Draghi’s hopes have dimmed a bit, there seems to be a growing possibility that Sergio Mattarella could be elected to another term, although the 80-year-old president has ruled that out so far.
Neither the centre-right nor centre-left groups put forward names for Thursday’s vote – the fourth of this week – after several parties toppled a number of possible candidates, paving the way for intense behind-the-scenes negotiations.
Unlike in the United States or France, where presidents are elected by popular vote, in Italy around 1,009 parliamentarians and regional representatives choose the head of state in a secret ballot, which party leaders sometimes struggle to control. .
Some sort of compromise seems necessary in the fragmented parliament, where none of the main blocs has a majority.
Two government officials told Reuters on Thursday that Mattarella’s re-election was a strong possibility.
Though top party bosses instructed their lawmakers to abstain or vote blank in today’s vote, Mattarella still got 166 votes, more than anyone else for the second day in a row, albeit well below the required 505.
In addition to Draghi and Mattarella, candidates cited for the post include Elisabetta Belloni, a career diplomat who heads the secret services, and Sabino Cassese, an 86-year-old former Constitutional Court judge.
Other possible candidates publicized in the media include former lower house speaker Pier Ferdinando Casini, former prime minister Giuliano Amato, Senate president Elisabetta Casellati and Justice Minister Marta Cartabia, who previously presided over the Constitutional Court. .
* adicional reportage by Giuseppe Fonte and Giulia Segreti
Reference: CNN Brasil
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