Mario Draghi has announced his retirement

The president refuses to step down

Mario Draghi should be prime minister

Mario Draghi has announced his retirement. However, President Sergio Mattarella rejected this.

Posted: 6:56 pm

Updated: 55 minutes ago

Mario Draghi (74) wants to step down. “I want to inform you that tonight I am submitting my resignation to the President,” the Italian prime minister announced at his official headquarters during a meeting of the Council of Ministers on Thursday evening.

Today’s vote in Parliament was very clear from a political perspective. “The national unity that supported the majority when this government was formed no longer exists,” Draghi said.

Draghi needs to find supporters

However, President Sergio Mattarella (80) refused to step down. Madrella invited Draghi to report to parliament and assess the situation, his headquarters said in a statement on Thursday.

Draghi can now try to reunite supporters in the bicameral parliament and confirm this with a confidence vote. Even with the previous multi-party regime and the absence of the Five Star Movement, he would have got the majority he needed.

It was preceded by a long-running dispute with the populist Five Star Movement over a vote on a billion-dollar aid order in the Senate, which included a vote of confidence. The star senators did not vote, thus not expressing their confidence in the government in the smaller two chambers of parliament. The trust agreement failed, Draghi explained. (SDA/vof)