Is Berlusconi on the verge of coronation?

Silvio Berlusconi put himself in the fight for the presidency. The current president, Sergio Mattarella, is not giving up his seat without a fight, as Mario Draghi is eyeing the presidential seat.

There is a saying in Italy that whoever enters into pleasure like the Pope becomes a cardinal. This means, for example: names that have been mentioned many times previously are usually unsuccessful. By secret elections, the Catholic Church in the Vatican elects its new leader.

About two kilometers away, more than 1,000 Italian representatives want to find a new head of state within a week on January 24th. Similar to the Vatican, it is still not entirely clear in Rome who will eventually hold the highest office in the state. Elections can sometimes take days.

Berlusconi wants to challenge Mattarella’s position

This position is held by the Social Democrat Sergio Mattarella. He is 80 years old and is popular in Italy. The desire for a second term has been raised several times. But in the media-fed candidate lottery, a veteran of Italian politics has already established himself: Silvio Berlusconi – a four-time former head of government, who Still to stand trial for bribery. As many associate it with “Bunga-Bunga parties” with young women.

For weeks, party friends from the Forza Italia party have publicly supported the candidacy. All right-wing and conservative parties formally pledged their support for the businessman at a summit on Friday.

Unterberger: Candidacy is ‘absurd’

“Personally, I find Berlusconi’s candidacy absurd,” says South Tyrol senator Julia Unterberger of the German news agency. She is a member of the South Tyrol Christian Democratic People’s Party in the Italian Senate, the smallest room in the two-chamber parliament. The president should be a moral authority, which is difficult with Berlusconi.”

The leader of the Partito Democratic Party, Enrico Letta, called for a “non-partisan president of the republic that unites and does not divide.” Giuseppe Conte – head of the populist Five Star Movement and predecessor to Prime Minister Mario Draghi – described Berlusconi’s election as an “unthinkable choice”.

The president, elected for a seven-year term, has power in Italy. He can block legislation, dissolve parliament and thus initiate elections and appoint ministers – or prevent them from being appointed. The latter, for example, is the present Mattarella verb. Historically, a government collapses in Italy after an average of just over a year. The president is therefore important for shaping the political future. In fact, the longest-running government was that of Silvio Berlusconi, from June 2001 to April 2005.

While Italian politicians are at odds over Berlusconi, Prime Minister Mario Draghi has been stubbornly silent for weeks. He is also considered a potential candidate for the Quirinale Palace, where the head of state resides. His comment a week ago: “I will not answer any questions regarding current or future developments or the Quirinale.”

Draghi also appointed to the presidency

Political expert Wolfango Piccoli is convinced: “Draghi’s refusal to comment on the most important issue on the agenda confirms once again that he is seriously interested in the presidency.” At the same time, many Italian politicians want him to remain at his current official residence, the Chigi Palace. The change in the Quirinale could mean that the government supported by a majority of Parliament collapses and early elections follow. The current legislative period ends in May 2023.

Maybe a two-thirds majority is not enough for Berlusconi

One thing is clear: he will be tight on Berlusconi. Lacks the necessary votes. The Electoral College is composed of members of the Senate, the Chamber of Deputies, and representatives of autonomous regions and territories. In the first three ballots, a candidate needs a two-thirds majority, i.e. 673 votes. Berlusconi is far from it. From the fourth ballot, an absolute majority of 505 votes is sufficient. He can speculate.

Because Tense Aura Status The fear of injury is very high. Only one ballot can be held on that day, as the entire electoral college should not be in the hall at the same time, but only up to 200 people at a time and one round can last about five to six hours. Finally, some observers say that those who circulate as candidates before the elections don’t end up being candidates anyway — or more figuratively speaking, whoever enters the secret chamber where the pope appears as a cardinal.

SDA