Italian Prime Minister Finally Resigns... Early Autumn General Election Possible (Comprehensive)

Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Seoyul] Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi finally stepped down on the 21st (local time) after expressing his intention to resign twice.

On the morning of the same day, Prime Minister Draghi appeared before the Senate to announce his resignation and then met with President Sergio Mattarella to submit his resignation letter. President Mattarella accepted it but requested that he maintain his position for the time being to prevent a government vacuum. In the afternoon, President Mattarella is scheduled to meet with the Senate leadership to discuss the political situation.

Local media anticipate that President Mattarella may soon initiate constitutional procedures for an early general election, such as ordering the dissolution of parliament. The election is likely to be held in late September or early October, and if realized, it is expected to inevitably disrupt the formulation of next year's budget.

In political circles, if an early general election is decided, it is expected that Prime Minister Draghi will remain in office until the election, operating as a so-called 'caretaker cabinet.' However, even if the current cabinet is maintained for a while, the momentum for government administration is expected to significantly decline.

Paolo Gentiloni, former Italian Prime Minister and EU Commissioner for Economy, criticized the irresponsibility of the Italian political sphere on Twitter and warned that Italy could face a 'perfect storm' due to Draghi's resignation.

With the collapse of the Draghi cabinet, the European Union (EU) and the United States are also closely watching the possibility of cracks forming in the unified front against Russia regarding the Ukraine war. This is because Prime Minister Draghi has been regarded as a Western leader who strongly supported Ukraine.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.