Itàlia, la política impossible

The unity government of Mario Draghi, Italy’s prime minister, fell apart yesterday, leaving the country careening toward a new season of political chaos.

Key parts of Draghi’s coalition excoriated him on the Senate floor and abandoned him in a confidence vote. Draghi is expected to offer his resignation today for a second, and almost certainly final, time.

Draghi’s departure would be a stinging blow to the E.U. at a critical moment for the war in Ukraine. He was an essential part of Europe’s exceptionally unified stance against Russia’s aggression, and his departure would come as the bloc struggled to hold a united front and to revive its economies.

In Italy, a power vacuum could also open the door to new elections, which could yield a government dominated by parties far more sympathetic to Vladimir Putin, Russia’s leader — and more hostile to the E.U.

Draghi: The former European Central Bank president who helped save the euro used his statesmanlike stature to usher in a brief golden period for Italy after taking over as a caretaker prime minister in 2021. As leader, he steered Italy out of the worst days of the pandemic and pushed for more international ties.