Italian President rejects PM Mario Draghi's resignation

Rome [Italy], July 15 (ANI): Italian President, Sergio Mattarella rejected the resignation of Prime Minister Mario Draghi and asked him to address parliament to get a clear picture of the political situation.

Draghi decided to formally resign after the second largest force in his coalition, the Five Star Movement (M5S) boycotted a confidence vote on the government's relief bill to combat soaring prices in the Senate.

In an official statement after their meeting at the Quirinale Palace, Mattarella's office said that "the president has not accepted the resignation," Xinhua reported. Mattarella has invited Draghi "to appear before Parliament for communications, in order to have an assessment of the situation ... in its proper forum," the statement specified.

According to Xinhua, Draghi is now expected to address the lower house and the Senate next Wednesday, according to the local media as the crisis broke out after weeks of tensions mounting within the broad coalition supporting Draghi's national unity government which was formed in February 2021.

After the M5S refused to take part in the confidence vote on Thursday, Draghi gathered the cabinet and formally announced to his ministers that he would resign, saying the majority that had supported the government from its creation does not exist anymore.

Draghi handed over his resignation to Italian President Sergio Mattarella late on Thursday, saying that the defection of key lawmakers from a confidence vote on a relief bill to help Italians deal with soaring energy prices earlier in the day convinced him he no longer had support to govern effectively.

"From my inauguration speech in parliament I always said I would only go on if there was a clear prospect of implementing government programs," Draghi said, adding that these conditions no longer exist.
Notably, Italy is facing a worsening economic situation caused in part by rising energy costs.
Italian Prime Minister on Tuesday said that he plans to announce a series of measures aimed to reduce the impacts of the worsening economic situation caused in part by rising energy costs. (ANI)