Mario Draghi has been declared in as Italy’s new prime minister during a ceremony at the Quirinal Palace in Rome, drawing in a new Italian politics era.
The previous European Central Bank chief came three minutes early for the event, held following strict coronavirus cares in the salone delle festa.
How the political crisis unfolded
Italy’s government crisis was triggered last month when former prime minister Matteo Renzi’s Italia Viva party withdrew its support from the coalition — which also comprised the left-wing populist Five Star Movement (MS5), the centre-right Democratic Party (PD) and a left-wing parliamentary group.
Although Italia Viva currently polls at around 3 per cent, its lawmakers were crucial to Conte, a lawyer who was first nominated prime minister in June 2018 by the coalition formed by MS5 and the far-right League party.
Conte resigned after surviving two confidence votes in the hope of being able to form a new coalition but failed.
Mattarella, who had previously said he is against calling new elections in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, then called on Draghi, 73, to try to form a coalition.
MS5, the largest state force in Italy’s government, formally backed Draghi for prime minister on Thursday following an online ballot of its features in which 59.3 per cent of the 74,500 who took part voted in favour of a state helmed by the former European central banker.
Draghi had by then already adjusted the support of PD, the centre-right Forza Italia party of then prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, Italia Viva, and the League — adequately to win the confidence vote in both houses.