Appointed Prime Minister Mario Draghi.
AM POOL | Getty Images News | Getty Images
LONDON – Mario Draghi has garnered enough support from Italian lawmakers and is now very likely to lead the country’s next government.
Members of the Five Star Movement opted to support Draghi, the prime minister-designate, in an online poll conducted on Thursday, with 59.3% supporting the former head of the European Central Bank. Draghi seems to have a solid majority in Rome and no party would be able to derail his administration.
He will now face a vote of confidence in Parliament next week and will present his cabinet to the president on Friday.
Draghi was called to resolve a political crisis in the third largest euro economy. The chaos began when a small party, called Italia Viva, withdrew its support for the fragile coalition government. This meant that the pro-EU Cabinet lost the required majority in the Italian Parliament, which raised the prospect of a quick election at a time of severe economic and health crisis.
Following a meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella last week, Draghi agreed to try to form a government of national unity. Famous for saving the euro in the sovereign debt crisis, Draghi will face the daunting task of leading his country’s economic recovery.
A government led by Draghi, although more technocratic than political, would avoid the need for quick elections, which most mass politicians want to avoid. Polls show that the Anti-Immigration League party would win the most votes in the elections and could form an alliance with the far-right Italian Brothers party.
Along with the Five Star Movement, the Centrist Democratic Party and Italia Viva also supported Draghi. Matteo Renzi, the leader of Italia Viva, told CNBC last week that he believes the country will be in “very good hands” with Draghi.
“I am so happy because today Italy is in very good hands,” Renzi said. “Mario Draghi was the Italian who saved the euro. Now I think he will be the European who will save Italy,” he added.