More than 1,000 Italian mayors signed a petition on Sunday asking Prime Minister Mario Draghi, who wanted to resign on Thursday, to stay in his post. He had offered his resignation to President Sergio Mattarella but the latter did not accept it and “invited him to present himself to parliament so that an assessment of the situation could take place”.
Mario Draghi wanted to resign because of the non-participation of the 5 Star Movement (M5S), member of the ruling coalition, in a vote of confidence requested by the government. In their petition, the mayors stigmatized “the irresponsible behavior” of the M5S. They also stressed following political events in Italy “with disbelief and concern”.
The League and Forza Italia no longer want M5S
The exit from the crisis due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the social emergency imply that “today more than ever, we need stability, certainty and coherence in order to continue the transformation of our cities”, they continue. Former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and far-right leader Matteo Salvini, whose Forza Italia and La Ligue parties are part of the governing majority, said on Sunday that they could no longer continue to govern alongside M5S in because of “his incompetence and unreliability”. Berlusconi and Salvini declared themselves ready for elections “even at very short notice”, in a joint statement. They are normally scheduled for early 2023.