Italy in Crisis After President Rejects Premier Draghi’s Offer to Resign

Italy hit a period of dizzying political turbulence Thursday (July 14), with Prime Minister Mario Draghi saying he would resign (https://t.me/theriotimes/3955) and make way for a new government, only for the country’s president to reject Draghi’s resignation and ask him to reassess whether he can hold a majority together.

President Sergio Mattarella invited Draghi back to Parliament, a request that will touch off days of backroom negotiations among parties and potentially lead to a confidence vote next week.

Draghi for 17 months has been a rare unifying force in Italian politics, commanding a wide left-to-right backing. But that unity has faltered as pandemic concerns have been replaced by inflation, record drought and war in Europe—and as some political parties perceive they might fare better in early elections.

Italy’s government was pushed to the brink not by a global or national crisis but by a fight over what do to about tras