Italian President Giorgio Napolitano is starting a “rapid” series of meetings today to seek the formation of a government to end the country’s two-month political deadlock, his office said yesterday.
Napolitano, who was sworn in for a second term earlier in the day, is meeting the speakers of the two houses of Parliament and party representatives to verify whether positions have changed since previous consultations.
Italy has not been able to form a government since the February national election left no single group with a working majority in Parliament.
Meanwhile earlier yesterday the Italian President, in a tough address to the country’s squabbling political parties, said they must agree to form a government without delay.
In his inaugural address to Parliament after an unprecedented presidential re-election, the 87-year-old head of state repeatedly attacked the political parties for their endless conflict and failure to reach a sound and fruitful agreement.
He told the parliamentarians only a broad coalition was possible in the current circumstances and they must swiftly form an administration capable of winning confidence votes in both houses of Parliament.
At this point in time months of paralysing political deadlock seem close to an end in Italy with a new government possible within the week, but there are still questions over whether the stability can last.
President Giorgio Napolitano has reluctantly been re-elected for an unprecedented second term after traditional politicians begged him to stay on and deal with one of the most turbulent moments in recent Italian political history.
Now there is some optimism that a government can be formed within the week, nearly two months after February’s inconclusive election.
Napolitano has emerged from the turmoil with his power greatly enhanced compared to the previous few months, when as an outgoing President his arms were constitutionally tied. Now he not only has the big stick of being able to call a snap election, which many politicians want to avoid, but is thought to have obtained solid assurances of cooperation from party leaders who begged him to stay on.
As Napolitano holds a rapid round of consultations with political parties, they will be banging their heads together, hoping to hand a mandate to a potential new prime minister as soon as tomorrow.
This prime minister-designate would try to form a broad based coalition between the divided centre-left and Silvio Berlusconi’s centre-right plus the centrists of outgoing Prime Minister Mario Monti within the week.
Beppe Grillo’s populist 5-Star Movement bitterly opposes the deal that re-elected Napolitano and would remain in opposition, joined by the leftist SEL party of Puglia governor Nichi Vendola.
Napolitano’s favourite to lead this government is said to be veteran politician Giuliano Amato, a 75-year-old former premier with the experience and skills to face the political chaos.