Italy's Draghi meets with president amid 5-Star tensions
Italy's Premier Mario Draghi is meeting with Italy’s president to discuss the future of his government amid simmering tensions with a coalition member, the 5-Star Movement
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
Italian Premier Mario Draghi met Monday with Italy’s president to discuss the future of his government amid simmering tensions with coalition member the 5-Star Movement.
Five-Star lawmakers abstained from a vote in the lower Chamber of Deputies on Monday, signaling a lack of support for Draghi’s government. Draghi's national unity coalition, formed with the aim of recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, is made up of a broad base of parties, including ones from the left, the right and the populist 5-Stars.
Ex-Premier Silvio Berlusconi, whose center-right Forza Italia party is part of the governing coalition, called on Draghi to verify if he still can lead the country after the 5-Star abstention, prompting the premier to go to the Quirinale Palace to huddle with President Sergio Mattarella.
The 5-Star leadership has been complaining for weeks about government priorities, demanding more generous financial relief for families and businesses slammed by high energy costs and continued funding of a guaranteed monthly salary for those unable to find work.
The 5-Stars, which began as a grassroots protest movement founded by comedian Beppe Grillo, reached the height of popularity in 2018 when they became the biggest party in Parliament, a victory based in large part on the guaranteed salary pledge.
But the movement has lost support in the ensuing years, and expulsions and defections have whittled their ranks in Parliament, most recently when Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio split off with 60 lawmakers to form a new movement.
Ex-Premier Giuseppe Conte, the current 5-Star leader, had vowed as recently as last week that he would remain in Draghi’s government for now. But after the abstentions Monday, lawmakers openly questioned whether Draghi could continue on without full 5-Star support.
In addition, the center-right has done well in recent local elections and generally polls well, suggesting they would be interested in having an early election called.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.