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Game over. The M5s, after having split itself with the internal split, demolishes the majority that supports the Draghi government. A harakiri that is consumed with the decision not to vote for the executive’s confidence on the Dl Aid. A tear that, at the end of a day marked by desperate attempts at mending, makes the farewell of the Prime Minister inevitable.
The announcement comes in the evening, after a long conversation with Sergio Mattarella, an hour-long confrontation in which the Head of State tries in every way to mitigate the exasperation of the former ECB number one, without undermining the conviction, expressed in a peremptory manner, that to move forward “a cohesive majority is necessary”. Mario Draghi appears in the Council of Ministers and announces: «Tonight I resign. Today’s votes in Parliament are very significant from a political point of view. The majority of national unity that has supported this government since its creation is no longer there ”. The conditions for carrying out the program “are no longer there but we must be proud of the work done,” he says, earning the applause of those present.
It is the Prime Minister himself, since the morning, who makes it clear that he is not willing to lend himself to weary rites of survival or mediations of small coasters. The premier communicates to the Minister for Relations with Parliament Federico D’Incà – in search of mediation with a split vote – that there are no alternatives to trust. No plan B is possible, is the premier’s message. One cannot stand with one foot in and one out of the majority.
The Senate Chamber votes for confidence in the government. There are 172 yeses, 39 no, but none of the Cinquestelle participates in the vote: all absent in the first and second calls. A stance that is not followed by the resignation of ministers and undersecretaries, an acrobatics that photographs the doubts within the five-star groups. Of the 61 M5s senators, 15 are on mission or on leave, including Minister Patuanelli, and 46 are absent. Beppe Grillo supports the choice.
The parliamentary day, however, opens with a new “farewell”: Senator Cinzia Leone leaves the Cinquestelle and goes with the Dimaiani. The debate in the Senate, according to script, develops between crossed accusations and old and new grudges that come to light. Matteo Renzi, for example, removes a few pebbles from his shoe, both on the genesis of the Draghi government and on the policy of the Democratic Party alliances. «The Democratic Party, seeing Conte’s behavior, says that it is difficult for him to understand the reasons for the crisis. We too. But seeing Conte’s behavior, I hope you understand the reasons for last year’s crisis. I too went through the crisis with Count 2, but my ministers resigned. The Democratic Party can exit the tunnel of subordination with respect to the very strong point of reference of the progressives. Go back to reformism which can never be populism ». The one who points the finger harshly at the inconsistency of Giuseppe Conte and the Cinquestelle is Anna Maria Bernini. «We have witnessed two days of non-lucid madness which have a name and a surname: Movimento cinquestelle. Beppe Grillo would say resign and be accompanied home one last time with the blue cars paid for by taxpayers. The truth hurts you and you lack consistency ». There are protests and whistles and from the pentastellati benches, with the president Casellati forced to intervene. You also put your finger on the sore Luigi Di Maio’s group. “It is ridiculous that the Minister for Relations with Parliament announces the trust and the parent company M5s announces that he will not vote for it,” says the leader Primo Di Nicola.
Of course, the eyes are now on the immediate future. Draghi announces that on Wednesday he will report to Parliament. The parties, and Sergio Mattarella himself, do not despair of being able to induce him to rethink, with the head of state who in the meantime sends him back to the Chambers. Someone dares that the quirinal suggestion, projected on a not too distant future, could become topical again, but it is only rumors.
In any case, Draghi’s resignation could be delayed due to the intergovernmental summit in Algeria on 18 and 19 July, set to make new gas agreements that cannot be signed by a resigning premier. The political forces, however, are at work in an attempt to induce the premier to rethink. “We have to finish the work on Pnrr, budget law and the Ukrainian situation,” says Renzi. “We are working for a Draghi-Bis between now and the next few months”.
