President Sergio Mattarella on
Thursday refused to accept the resignation Premier Mario Draghi
presented to him after Senators from the 5-Star Movement (M5S),
a key part of his ruling coalition, failed to take part in a
confidence vote on a government decree.
Mattarella has invited Draghi to report to parliament and assess
the situation, the head of State's office said in a statement.
Draghi is set to report to parliament on Wednesday.
Before going to Mattarella to quit, Draghi told his cabinet that
"the pact of trust at the base of the government's action no
longer exists.
"The conditions no longer exist to realize the (government's)
programme," former European Central Bank (ECB) president Draghi
told his ministers.
"Total commitment was not enough. We must be proud of the work
done".
M5S leader and ex-premier Giuseppe Conte had announced on
Wednesday that the movement's lawmakers would snub Thursday's
vote.
Conte had recently presented Draghi with a list of demands he
said the M5S wanted to be met in order to stay in the executive.
On Tuesday Draghi showed willingness to reach agreement on some
of these issues, including a demand for the introduction of a
minimum wage.
But he also stressed that the sense of his government of
national unity would be 'lost" if the parties supporting it
started to lay down ultimatums.
The decree, on aid for the cost-of-living crisis, passed with
172 votes in favour and 39 against.
It incudes a measure on plans for a waste-to-energy plant in
Rome, something the M5S opposes.
Conte said Thursday that others were to blame for the M5S's
decision not to take part in the confidence vote.
"The M5S gave its support from the start to this government...
with the cornerstones of the ecological transition and social
justice," Conte told reporters.
"If then you have blackmail in which measures contrary to the
ecological transition enter a decree, we will never give our
vote.
"Those who forced things in this way they should take
responsibility (for what has happened)".
League leader Matteo Salvini and FdI head Giorgio Meloni have
been calling for early elections.
On Thursday Salvini spoke of "full harmony within the
centre-right" alliance, which also includes ex-premier Silvio
Berlusconi's Forza Italia as well as FdI and the League.
The M5S and the centre-left Democratic Party (PD) had been
expected to run as allies at the next election, which had been
set to take place early in 2023 at the end of the current
parliamentary term.
PD leader Enrico Letta said that the M5S's position on the
Draghi government "changes the political scenario.
"We take note of this decision," Letta added.
"It isn't ours and we don't agree with it.
"Today we will support the confidence vote with conviction".
Draghi's administration was formed early in 2021 to address the
COVID-19 pandemic and manage almost 200 billion euros in grants
and low-interest loans from the European Union for Italy's
National Resilience and Recovery Plan (NRRP) after ex-premier
Conte's second government collapsed.
Up to now Draghi's executive had been supported by all the major
parties in parliament, except for the right-wing Brothers of
Italy (FdI) group.
Some political commentators see the break with the government as
a way for the once anti-establishment M5S to reaffirm its
identity.
The Internet-based movement was only founded by Beppe Grillo in
2009 but it fast won support among people disaffected by Italy's
traditional parties and it was the individual group that won
most votes in the 2018 general election.
It has now been part of three coalition governments though and,
with the compromises that come with being in power, a
signification chunk of its support has fallen away recently.
The M5S is currently fourth in the polls with the support of
around 12% of the electorate, according to surveys.
It is no longer the biggest party in parliament after Foreign
Minister Luigi Di Maio quit to form a breakaway group following
a row over Conte's opposition to sending more weapons to
Ukraine.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
