Renzi Says Italia Viva Party To Support New Government Led By Draghi 'Regardless Of Names'

Former Italian prime minister and the leader of Italia Viva (IV) party, Matteo Renzi, announced on Friday that IV would fully support the government led by Mario Draghi regardless of the names of the ministers

GENOA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 05th February, 2021) Former Italian prime minister and the leader of Italia Viva (IV) party, Matteo Renzi, announced on Friday that IV would fully support the government led by Mario Draghi regardless of the names of the ministers.

Italia Viva was the party that opened up the political crisis in Italy by withdrawing its ministers from the governing coalition. As a result, former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte stepped down, having failed to get an absolute majority in the vote of confidence in the senate. On Wednesday, Italy's President Sergio Mattarella gave a mandate to form a new government to Draghi, the former head of the European Central Bank. He is now holding consultations with political parties of the parliament, which will last until Saturday.

"Our country has never had so much funds from after the war, it is more than Marshall Plan, thanks to the Next Generation EU and the series of measures from the European Union. Who better than Mario Draghi can manage this transition?" Renzi said after the consultations with Draghi.

The reason IV withdrew from the governing coalition was differences with Conte over the Recovery Plan, which specifies how Italy is going to spend the funds it will get from the Next Generation EU instrument.

"The fact that Mario Draghi, as we hope, will be able to receive confidence in the parliament in the coming days, and will be the person who will represent Italy in the European institutions is very important. In 2021, [German Chancellor] Angela Merkel will leave her position at the helm of Germany after 16 year ... [French President Emmanuel] Macron will have a year of electoral campaign ... The idea that Italy can be at the helm of the European institutions is the fact that makes us particularly hopeful," Renzi continued.

"Therefore, Italia Viva announces immediately that it will support the government of Draghi independently of the names of the ministers, whether they are going to be technical or political," Renzi assured.

While other political forces have expressed either cautious or vivid support to the perspective of a government led by Draghi, the Five Star Movement (M5S), to which Conte has been most close, spoke out against it, keeping loyalty to the ex-prime minister. However, on Thursday acting foreign minister and former leader of M5S, Luigi Di Maio, toned down this rhetoric by saying his party should demonstrate matureness and listen to Draghi's proposals.

Conte himself said he would like to see a political, not a technical government.