Sergio Mattarella will be sworn in for a second term as head of state Italy next Thursday, while the political parties, unable to agree on an alternative, have been trying since Sunday to heal their wounds to keep the government coalition together.
Mattarella, who had insisted that he did not want to repeat another seven-year period, has been the best solution to get out of the absolute blockade in which the parties had plunged Italy for six days and that had even paralyzed the work of the Government.
The political formations reflect this Sunday on what happened and the member of the 5 Star Movement (M5S) Riccardo Ricciardi has asked to “clarify some points” in the ranks of the formation, while the Minister for the South and member of Forza Italia, Mara Carfagna, has opined that Mattarella’s re-election weakens the extreme right.
Specifically to the leaders of the League, Matteo Salvini, and of the Brothers of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, who until now were partners of their political group in the conservative pact, although the latter is not part of the Government.
Mattarella’s oath
On Thursday Mattarella’s current term ends and that day he will swear once more for a second stage, becoming the second head of state to repeat the post, following Giorgio Napolitano, who had to do it in 2013 despite the fact that he too wanted to retire.
The Sicilian jurist will be received around 3:30 p.m. local time (2:30 p.m. GMT) by a picket of honor in the square where the Chamber of Deputies is located.
He will enter the building accompanied by the presidents of both chambers, Roberto Fico and Elisabetta Casellati, and in plenary session he will be sworn in and offer a speech, in the presence of deputies, senators, regional delegates and members of the Government, including the Prime Minister , Mario Draghi.
Draghi, who had shown his willingness to occupy the Head of State but who has not had sufficient support, has played a fundamental role, as he spoke with Mattarella to convince him to remain for the good of the country.
Already as president in the fullness of his institutional powers, Mattarella will go to the Altar of the Fatherland, located in the Roman Venice Square, and then return to the Quirinal, escorted by cuirassiers on horseback.
The war of the parties
After almost a week of accusations and divisions between the blocks of the right and of the left to finally leave everything as it is, Mattarella at the head of the Head of State and Draghi at the head of the Government, the parties now seek to recover and heal their wounds.
The work of the Government must continue and on Monday a Council of Ministers is scheduled to study whether to extend the use of masks outdoors due to the pandemic or what to do with nightclubs, which remain closed to avoid crowds.
The current legislature ends in the spring of 2023 and the Draghi Executive must address issues such as consolidating growth following the pandemic, curbing the rise in energy prices, which is affecting households and companies, completing tax and pension reforms and meet the objectives agreed with Brussels to receive European funds for recovery.
And all this, forgetting the divisions of the last days.
One of the most affected by the contest has been the far-right Salvini, who has seen all his candidates frustrated. He, along with his Minister for Economic Development, Giancarlo Giorgetti, will meet with Draghi tomorrow to discuss the Executive.
“The government and the majority that comprise it must adopt a new working method that allows constructively addressing the many issues, including those that generate divisions, without turning this year into a long electoral campaign,” Giorgetti said on Saturday in a note.
The conservative coalition, formed by Forza Italia and the extreme right-wing League and Brothers of Italy, is considering this Sunday if the disagreements in the election to the Head of Government have broken their alliance.
“I don’t know if this coalition is over. I know that the illusion of governing it by dictating the political line on social networks and dealing more with followers than with parliamentarians has ended,” Carfagna points out today in an interview with “La Repubblica”.
Meloni, however, has indicated in a message that the right must “be rebuilt” so that it is not ignored by the left.
The M5S also points to an internal reflection, following on Friday the leader, Giuseppe Conte, publicly supported the idea launched by Salvini for a woman to be president of the Italian Republic, but finally they opted for Mattarella, due to internal pressure.
