Draghi’s government gets down to business of governing

Italian outgoing Premier Giuseppe Conte hands over the cabinet minister bell to new Premier Mario Draghi, during the handover ceremony at Chigi Palace Premier’s office, in Rome.

ANSA

ROME – On Feb. 19, Premier Mario Draghi’s new government started to work after winning the second of two confidence votes in parliament on Feb. 16.

The executive, which the former head of the European Central Bank has called the “government of the country,” passed the confidence test in the Lower House with 535 votes in favor, 56 against and five abstentions.

However, as with the Feb. 17 vote in the Senate, there was a significant rebellion within the 5-Star Movement (M5S).

On Feb. 18, 16 M5S MPs broke ranks and voted against the government, while four abstained and 14 failed to turn up. The M5S disciplinary committee has been in discussions about whether to expel the rebel lawmakers.

President Sergio Mattarella turned to Draghi to form a new government to prevent Italy having to have early elections in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic after the collapse of Giuseppe Conte’s coalition government.