MILAN (AP) – Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi receives preliminary support from two key parties on Saturday to form a new government that will decide how to spend more than 200 billion euros ($ 240 billion) on EU funds to help revive the Italian pandemic – devastated economy.
The 5-star populist movement and the right-wing league have signaled support for a Draghi-led government, saying they are ready to put aside bitter rivalries for the good of the country and increase the potential for a broad national unity government.
Draghi, 73, the former president of the European Central Bank, concluded a first round of talks with political parties this week. Another round is expected early next week on potential cabinet ministers and a summary from Draghi of his vision for the new government. It is also expected to meet with trade unions, business lobbies and other members of civil society.
The Italian president beat Draghi this week to form a government following the resignation of former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, who lost the support of a small but key coalition party. Earlier on Saturday, Draghi had already lined up the support of the Democratic Party, Forza Italia of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Italia Live of former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and the small Free and Equal party.
After their meetings with Draghi, both the leader of the 5-Star Movement, Vito Crimi, and the leader of the League, Matteo Salvini, spoke about acting in the interest of Italy, the first Western nation to be hit hard by the coronavirus. Given that the economic failure of the pandemic is still accounted for, they both acknowledged that they will have to put aside political rivalries and betrayals to do so.
“We will not forget the acts committed by some political forces, which are present in our memories and in our political committees,” Crimi said, in what appeared to be a reference to Renzi Italy Alive’s support for his ruling coalition. Count and trigger its collapse.
Likewise, Salvini, a former interior minister in Conte’s first government, said he would be with politicians who voted to lift his parliamentary immunity so he could be tried in Sicily for not allowing rescue ships to disembark. of migrants in Italy when he was minister. .
“We are ready to overcome everything that is in the country’s interest,” said Crimi about the 5 Star Movement, which won top votes in the last parliamentary elections in 2018 and a key element of both Conte governments, the first with the right-wing League and the second with the left-wing Democratic Party.
Salvini’s move to support Draghi puts him in conflict with the far-right Italian Brothers party and its leader, Giorgia Meloni. She said on Friday she would remain in opposition. Salvini mentioned the share of EU recovery funds needed to revive the Italian economy after a national deadlock and subsequent public health restrictions.
“I would rather be in the room where it is decided whether the money is used well or not, instead of being outside,” he said.
Crimi said that Italy will be judged by its European partners on how it spends considerable funds and that 5-Stars wants to guarantee that the money will be distributed “honestly, transparently and in the exclusive interest of the well-being of its citizens. ”
“The world is watching us and will judge whether the country has changed,” Crimi said.
Italian Senator Emma Bonino, a former EU commissioner, said she hoped the reunification of parties from such a broad political spectrum would not dissolve into fighting.
“What we don’t want is for this to translate into this, not this, I can’t stay with him,” she told SKY TG24. “The priorities must be to complete the vaccination program, because without it the economy cannot be revived and reform or rewrite the plan for EU funds.”