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ITALY-POLITICS, NEWSERIES
Draghi sworn in as Italy’s new PM as country hopes to turn page
ROME, Feb 13, 2021 (BSS/AFP) – Former European Central Bank chief Mario
Draghi was formally sworn in as Italy’s new prime minister on Saturday,
against the backdrop of the deadly coronavirus pandemic and a crippling
recession.
The appointment of the 73-year-old known as “Super Mario” capped weeks of
political instability for the country still in the grips of the health crisis
that has killed more than 93,000 people.
“I swear to be loyal to the Republic,” recited Draghi, as he stood before
President Sergio Mattarella in the ornate presidential palace in a televised
ceremony.
Members of his new cabinet, who include technocrats, veteran politicians
and ministers held over from the previous government, each took the oath of
office.
Draghi was parachuted in by Mattarella after the previous centre-left
coalition under premier Giuseppe Conte collapsed, leading Italy rudderless
amid the worst recession since World War II.
After assembling a broad-based coalition, on Friday night he formally
accepted the post of premier, publicly revealing the new cabinet for the
first time.
On Wednesday, Draghi will be presented to the Senate, the upper house of
parliament, followed by the lower Chamber of Deputies on Thursday for a
confidence vote that will give the final official blessing to his government.
“Break a leg,” read the headline on La Stampa daily Saturday, as an Ipsos
poll in the Corriere della Sera daily showed 62 percent of Italians
supporting Draghi.
Following the swearing-in, Conte greeted his successor in Chigi Palace, the
prime minister’s office, during a short ceremony, receiving sustained
applause from civil servants in the courtyard before departing in an official
vehicle.
Conte’s final months in office were marked by political turmoil but the
former law professor — who rose to power in 2018 with no prior political
experience — represented for many Italians a comforting, steady hand during
the darkest moments of the pandemic last year.
– Coalition, for now? –
Draghi has the support of a rainbow coalition ranging from leftists to
Matteo Salvini’s far-right League.
It includes the populist Five Star Movement (M5S), the centre-left
Democratic Party (PD) and Italia Viva — who made-up the previous government
before falling out over the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.
M5S, parliament’s biggest party that began life as an anti-establishment
movement, was split over whether to support a government led by an unelected
technocrat.
But in an online vote, members backed Draghi by 59 percent, after securing
the promise of a new super-ministry for “ecological transition”.
That post has gone to renowned physicist Roberto Cingolani, who works at
Italian aeronautics giant Leonardo.
The senior deputy governor of Bank of Italy, Daniele Franco, was named
economy minister, while Roberto Speranza and Luigi Di Maio stay on at health
and foreign affairs, respectively.
– Challenges await –
Italy has high hopes for its new leader, who famously said he would do
“whatever it takes” to save the eurozone in the midst of the 2010s debt
crisis.
Although he himself has no political power base, Draghi relies on years of
experience in the Italian civil service, as well as his banking career.
His arrival was cheered by the financial markets with Italy’s borrowing
costs dropping to a historic low this week.
Nevertheless, “it is difficult to overstate the scale of the challenges
that Draghi and Italy face”, said Luigi Scazzieri of the Centre for European
Reform.
The Covid-19 shutdown and waves of subsequent restrictions caused the
economy to shrink by a staggering 8.9 percent last year, while more than
420,000 people have lost their jobs.
The virus remains rife and Conte’s cabinet, in one of its last acts, on
Friday tightened curbs in four regions and extended a ban on inter-regional
travel.
Like other European Union countries, Italy has also fallen behind in its
vaccination programme, blaming delivery delays.
The country is pinning hopes on receiving more than 220 billion euros ($267
billion) in EU recovery funds to help get back on its feet, but analysts
expect uphill challenges for Draghi in pushing through structural reforms.
BSS/AFP/IJ/1923 hrs