Sergio Mattarella was re-elected
Italian president Saturday on the eighth ballot of MPs, Senators
and regional representatives after seven inconclusive votes
forced political parties to beg the outgoing head of state to
rethink his retirement plans.
The vote counters signalled to the 1,009 grand electors that the
80-year-old leftwing Christian, former minister and
ex-Constitutional justice had reached the magic 505 vote mark,
sparking a loud round of applause that lasted over four minutes.
Mattarella got 759 votes out of a total of 983 voters, compared
to the 665 or 65.9% he garnered in his first election in 2015.
He is now the second most voted president after Sandro Pertini
with 832 in 1978.
in third place, ex premier and Bank of Italy governor Carlo
Azeglio Ciampi got 707 votes in 1999.
Premier Mario Draghi said "Sergio Mattarella's re-election as
Italian president is splendid news for the Italians. I'm
grateful to the president for his decision to satisfy the
extremely strong will of the parliament to re-elect him for a
second term".
Former premier and centre-left Democratic Party (PD) leader
Enrico Letta, who had led the call for Mattarella to be
re-elected along with the League's Matteo Salvini, said "it is a
victory for all, I think parliament has shown wisdom because
Mattarella was the presient that the Italians wanted".
Former premier and populist 5-Star Movement (M5S) leader
Giuseppe Conte said "Buon lavoro, Presidente Mattarella",
wishing the head of state well in his work.
Antonio Tajani, no 2 in the centre-right Forza Italia (FI) party
of three-time ex-premier and media magnate Silvio Berlusconi,,
who had unsuccessfully sought the presidency himself, said
Mattarella was the "custodian of unity".
Ettore Rosato, chair of former premier Matteo Renzi's Italia
Viva (IV) party, said "we still have a great President! Buon
lavoro Sergio Mattarella".
Mattarella's re-election became breaking news worldwide.
Former premier and European Economic Affairs Commissioner Paolo
Gentiloni, who had been a long shot for the presidency himself,
said the re-election was "an excellent message of stability".
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said "dear
Mattarella, Italy can count on the EU".
European Council President Charles Michel congratulated
Mattarella and said under his guide Italy would continue to help
the EU grow.
French President Emmanuel Macron said "best wishes Sergio, I'm
counting on you for a strong Europe".
The head of the Italian Bishops Conference (CEI), Cardinal
Gualtiero Bassetti, voiced "keen satisfaction" at the
re-election of the head of state.
The head of the only opposition to Mario Draghi's national unity
government, Giorgia Meloni of the hard right Brothers of Italy
(FdI) party, posted a video of the electors feting Mattarella
captioned "what are they celebrating for?"
FdI candidate, magistrate Carlo Nordio, got 90 votes, including
the FdI's 63.
House Speaker Roberto Fico proclaimed the winner and went to
tell Mattarella he had been re-elected, climbing the hill to the
Quirinale presidential palace.
Earlier in the day, after Draghi had discussed the re-election
with Mattarella, majority whips met the president and "we asked
the president to unpack his boxes," they said, noting that
Mattarella was already in the process of moving to a flat he had
rented in Rome.
Draghi had reportedly told Mattarella and party leaders it was
right for the head of state to remain in place "for the good and
stability of the country", sources said.
Mattarella's precedessor Giorgio Napolitano is the only Italian
president to have been re-elected, albeit reluctantly, serving
another two years before standing down.
Neither the centre-left or the centre-right bloc had enough
votes on its own to carry the election.
Ina previous vote the electors failed to give Italy its first
woman head of state as Senate Speaker Elisabetta Caselllati fell
short, while intelligence service chief Elisabetta Belloni was
also briefly in the running but was never put to the vote.
The centre right's decision to vote for Casellati caused tension
within the broad coalition supporting Draghi's government.
Despite polling in the single figures in successive votes,
Draghi had remained the bookies' favourite to get the top
institutional post in the eurozone's third-largest economy and
his chances are reportedly rising as the stalemate continued.
But many MPs feared the election of the economist and euro's
saviour as ECB chief would lead to them losing their seats in a
snap election a year before the natural end of the parliamentary
term.
Many MPs and the domestic and international business community
were also worried that the departure of Mr 'Whatever It Takes'
might jeopardise key reforms to the justice and tax systems and
public administration needed to secure almost 200 billion euros
in EU post-COVID recovery funds, helping turn Italy into a more
modern, efficient and greener economy.
European media said after Mattarella's re-election that EU
leaders were relieved that both he and Draghi were staying on in
their posts.
The president is a largely ceremonial figure representing
national unity and upholding the Constitution as a sort of moral
compass for the nation, but the person can wield power in
government crises by naming premiers and rejecting ministers,
while they may also ask parliament to reconsider legislation.
Rightwing League heavyweight Giancarlo Giorgetti said the
government now needed "tweaking" to address issues in a "more
constructive" way and avert a "year-long and damaging election
campaign".
Letta said it was up to Draghi to decide on any possible
reshuffle.
League leader Salvini said he hoped the "quarrels" among
majority parties over the presidential election would not impact
the government. Conte said "we achieved all our goals apart from
not electing a woman".
He said the M5S had asked Draghi for a meeting to seal a pact
for the country. Mattarella is expected to be sworn in and give
his inaugural address on Thursday, the day his current term
ends.
People celebrated in the square outside the Quirinale chanting
"Sergio, Sergio".
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