MILAN (AP) – Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi on Saturday received preliminary support from two key parties to form a new government that will decide how more than 200 billion euros ($ 240 billion) will be spent in European Union funds to to relaunch the pandemic in Italy. ravaged economy.
The populist 5-star movement and the right-wing League have both expressed support for a Draghi-led government, saying they were willing to set aside bitter rivalry for the good of the country and to open up the potential for a broad government of national unit. .
Draghi, 73, the former president of the European Central Bank completed a first round of talks with political parties this week. Another round is expected early next week on possible cabinet ministers and a synthesis by Draghi of his vision for the new government. He is also expected to meet unions, business lobbies and other members of civil society.
The Italian president this week enlisted Draghi to form a government following the resignation of ex-prime minister Giuseppe Conte, who lost the support of a small but important coalition party. Before Saturday, Draghi already had the support of the Democratic Party, Forza Italia from former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Italy Live from former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and the small party Free and Equal.
After their meetings with Draghi, both the leader of the five-star movement Vito Crimi and the leader of the competition Matteo Salvini spoke about acting in the interests of Italy, the first Western nation to be hit hard by the coronavirus. With the economic ramifications of the pandemic still adding up, both recognized they had to put aside political rivalry and betrayal to do so.
“We will not forget the acts committed by some of the political forces that are present in our memories and in our political committees,” said Crimi, in what appeared to be referring to Renzi who supported Italy Alive of Conte’s coalition government. detached and collapsed.
Likewise, Salvini, a former interior minister in Conte’s first government, noted that he would sit alongside politicians who voted to waive his parliamentary immunity so that he could face trial in Sicily for not allowing rescue ships of migrants in Italy disembark when he was a minister. .
“We are ready to overcome everything in the interest of the country,” said Crimi of the 5-star movement, which was the main voter 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 at odds with the far-right Brothers of Italy party and its leader, Giorgia Meloni. She said on Friday that she would remain in the opposition. Salvini cited the weight of the EU recovery funds needed to reboot the Italian economy following a national blockage and subsequent public health restrictions.
“I would rather be in the room where it is decided whether the money is being used well or not, rather than being on the outside,” he said.
Crimi said Italy would be judged by its European partners for the way it spends the significant funds, and that the 5 stars want to ensure that the money is distributed “with fairness, transparency and in the exclusive interest of citizens’ well-being. . “
“The world is looking at us and will judge whether the country has changed,” Crimi said.
Italian Senator Emma Bonino, who was a former EU Commissioner, said she hoped that bringing parties from such a broad political spectrum together would not resolve in conflict.
“What we don’t want is for this to translate into Ýes on this, no, I can’t sit with him,” she told SKY TG24. “The priorities must be the completion of the vaccination program, because without it the economy cannot be rebooted and the plan for EU funds cannot be reformed or rewritten.”