Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte is holding a press conference on July 7, 2020 in Rome, Italy.
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LONDON – Italy faces further political turmoil after Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte resigned on Tuesday, at a time when the country is facing a severe economic and health crisis.
Italy has been embroiled in political uncertainty for the past three weeks after a small party, Italia Viva, decided to leave the coalition government led by Conte. The break-up of the executive came after a dispute over EU pandemic recovery funds and how they are disbursed, which has plunged the nation into instability.
Earlier Tuesday, Conte, who has no political affiliation, told his ministers he was resigning. He then handed over his official resignation to President Sergio Mattarella. According to reports, the president has asked Conte to remain as a councilor while consultations are held on the formation of a new government.
However, the resignation is seen as an attempt to avoid a parliamentary defeat in a Senate vote later this week.
He narrowly survived a vote of confidence last week, but his government has been stripped of a working majority with the departure of Viva Italia, making it difficult to pass major laws for the rest of his term.
“After failing in their desperate efforts to expand their majority, Conte and his government had to be defeated in a new vote in the Senate that is currently scheduled for Jan. 27,” said Wolfango Piccoli, co-chair of the consulting firm Teneo. note.
He said Conte’s resignation was an attempt “to ensure his own political survival.”
Italian President Sergio Mattarella will have to decide whether to give Conte the chance to renegotiate with lawmakers, seeking a majority that will allow him to govern.
“Conte’s calculation is that by moving forward early and thus avoiding a humiliating defeat in the Senate later this week, he would increase his chances of getting a Mattarella mandate to form a new government,” Piccoli said, warning that “It is currently unclear whether Conte can succeed in this endeavor.”
If Italian lawmakers fail to reach an agreement on a new coalition government, with or without Conte as prime minister, voters should go to the polls sooner rather than later.
“The bottom line is that Italy will continue to be ruled by an executive who is not fit for hard work, as it has been since the last election,” Piccoli said.
This is breaking news and is being updated.