2021 Italian government crisis

The 2021 Italian government crisis is an ongoing political event in Italy that occurred in January 2021. It includes the events that follow the announcement of Matteo Renzi, leader of Italia Viva (IV) and former Prime Minister, that he would revoke IV's support to the government of Giuseppe Conte.[1]

2021 Italian government crisis
Mario Draghi accepting the task of forming a new government
Date13 January 2021 – ongoing
LocationItaly
TypeParliamentary crisis
CauseWithdrawal of Italia Viva's support to Giuseppe Conte's government
ParticipantsFive Star Movement
League
Forza Italia
Democratic Party
Brothers of Italy
Italia Viva
Free and Equal
Europeanists
For the Autonomies
Mixed Group
Outcome

On 18 and 19 January, Renzi's party abstained and the government won the key confidence votes in the Chamber and in the Senate, but it failed in reaching the absolute majority in the Senate.[2] On 26 January, Prime Minister Conte resigned from his office, prompting President Sergio Mattarella to start new consultations for the formation of a new government.

Background
See also: 2018 Italian general election and 2019 Italian government crisis

In September 2019, a new government was formed between the Five Star Movement (M5S), the Democratic Party (PD) and Free and Equal (LeU), with the independent university professor, Giuseppe Conte, at its head.[3][4][5][6] However, on 16 September, a few days from the investiture vote, in an interview with la Repubblica, former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi announced his intention to leave the PD, launching a new centrist and liberal party named Italia Viva (IV).[7][8] In the interview, he confirmed also the support to Conte's government.[9] Two ministers, Teresa Bellanova and Elena Bonetti, and one undersecretary, Ivan Scalfarotto, followed Renzi to his new movement.[10]

Political crisis
Giuseppe Conte and Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinal Palace

Between December 2020 and January 2021, discussions arose within the government coalition between Conte and Matteo Renzi, former Prime Minister and leader of Italia Viva.[11] Renzi called for radical changes to the government's economic recovery plans after the COVID-19 pandemic, and also demanded that Conte cede his mandate over the secret services coordination task.[12] During his end-of-year press conference, Conte declined Renzi's requests, asserting that he still had a majority in the Parliament.[13]

On 13 January, during a press conference, Renzi announced the resignation of IV's two ministers, effectively triggering the collapse of Conte's government.[14] Renzi stated: "We will not allow anyone to have full powers, we have started this government not to give them to Salvini. There is a dramatic emergency to face but it cannot be the only element that keeps the government alive. Responding to the pandemic means having the desire and need to unblock construction sites and act on industrial policies. There is a reason if Italy is the country with the highest number of deaths and GDP that collapses."[15]

Matteo Renzi at the Quirinal Palace for the consultations

During a late-night Council of Ministers, Conte heavily attacked Renzi, stating that "Italia Viva has assumed the serious responsibility of opening a government crisis. I am sincerely regretted for the considerable damage that has being produced for our country due to a government crisis in the midst of a pandemic. If a party forces its ministers to resign, the gravity of this decision cannot be diminished."[16] The Prime Minister was soon backed by the secretary of the Democratic Party, Nicola Zingaretti, who labeled the crisis as a "very serious mistake against Italy" and "an act against our country",[17] while the Minister of Culture, Dario Franceschini, head of the democratic delegation in the government, stated: "Whoever attacks the Prime Minister, attacks the entire government and Giuseppe Conte is serving the country with passion and dedication in the most difficult moment of our republican history".[18] The Minister of Foreign Affairs and former leader of the M5S, Luigi Di Maio, described Renzi's decision as a "reckless move", asserting that Prime Minister Conte and President Sergio Mattarella are the two only pillars of Italy in a moment of uncertainty;[19] while Roberto Speranza, Minister of Health and de facto leader of Free and Equal (LeU), said that Conte "has served the country with discipline and honor", adding that LeU still supported him.[20] Moreover, many other prominent members of the cabinet like Stefano Patuanelli, Alfonso Bonafede, Vincenzo Spadafora and Riccardo Fraccaro expressed their support to Conte.[21] The opposition leaders, Matteo Salvini and Giorgia Meloni, immediately asked for snap elections.[22]

On 15 January, Conte announced that he would report about the government crisis in the parliament in the following week. On that occasion, he would also seek for a confidence vote to confirm the parliamentary support for the government.[23]

Confidence vote

On 18 January 2021, the government won the vote of confidence in the Chamber of Deputies with 321 votes in favour, 259 against and 27 abstentions.[24][25] On the following day the government won a vote of confidence in the Senate with 156 votes in favor, 140 against and 16 abstentions;[26][27] however, the cabinet was not able to reach the absolute majority in the house.[28]

In both houses of Parliament, the Italia Viva groups abstained. The government also gained support from a few MPs who did not belong to the majority, such as three MPs from Forza Italia, one from More Europe, and others from the Mixed group.

18–19 January 2021
Confidence votes for Conte II Cabinet
House of Parliament Vote Parties Votes
Chamber of Deputies
(Voting: 607 of 630,
Majority: 316)		 Y YesM5S (188), PD (93), LeU (12), CD (11), Mixed Group–Ind. (8), SVP–PATT (4), MAIE (3), IV (1), FI (1)
321 / 607
N NoLega (125), FI (85), FdI (31), NcI–USEI–C! (9), +EU–Action (4), Mixed Group–Ind. (3), AP–PSI (2)
259 / 607
AbstentionIV (27)
27 / 607
Senate of the Republic
(Voting: 312 of 321,
Majority: 161)		 Y YesM5S (91), PD (35), Aut (8), Mixed Group–Ind. (8), LeU (6), MAIE (4), FI (2), PSI (1), +EU–Action (1)
156 / 312
N NoLega (62), FI–UDC (49), FdI (19), Mixed Group–Ind. (5), IdeA–C! (3), +EU–Action (2)
140 / 312
AbstentionIV (16)
16 / 312

    Resignation of Giuseppe Conte and consultations
    Nicola Zingaretti and the Democratic delegation at the Quirinal Palace for the consultations

    On 26 January, after a few days of inconclusive negotiations with centrist and independent senators to regain an absolute majority in the Senate, Conte resigned as Prime Minister.[29][30][31] On the following day, a new parliamentary group, known as Europeanists, was formed in the Senate in support of Conte.[32] The group was composed by members of the Associative Movement Italians Abroad (MAIE) and other centrist and liberal senators.

    On 27 January, the consultations with President Sergio Mattarella for the formation of a new cabinet began at the Quirinal Palace, meeting the presidents of the two houses, senator Elisabetta Casellati and honourable Roberto Fico.[33]

    On 28 January, President Mattarella met the delegations of For the Autonomies, Free and Equal and the new-born Europeanists, which confirmed their supports to Conte, as well as the independent MPs of the Mixed Group.[34] Matteo Renzi, which was received in the afternoon along with Italia Viva's delegation, opened to a new government with the same old majority, but he opposed to give the task of forming a new cabinet to Conte,[35] while Nicola Zingaretti, leader of the PD, stressed the necessity of starting a new government with Conte at its head.[36]

    On 29 January, the centre-right coalition, composed by the League (Lega), Brothers of Italy (FdI), Forza Italia (FI) and other conservative minor parties, was received by President Mattarella. Matteo Salvini, leader of the League, asked for snap election, otherwise he added that, at specific conditions, the centre-right could support a national unity government.[37][38] The consultations ended with the Five Star Movement (M5S), whose leader, Vito Crimi, confirmed the support to Prime Minister Conte and opened to a return of Italia Viva within the majority.[39] This statement caused the immediate reaction of Alessandro Di Battista, leader of the anti-establishment wing of the M5S, which threatened to exit from the party if Renzi will return to government.[40]

    Further negotiations and Draghi government
    Sergio Mattarella and Mario Draghi at the Quirinal Palace in February 2021

    At the end of the consultations, Mattarella gave the President of the Chamber, Roberto Fico, the task of verifying the possibility of a new government with the same majority of the previous one, composed by M5S, PD, IV and LeU.[41]

    On the deadline day of 2 February, IV broke away from the majority due to disagreements on both platform and cabinet members, leading Fico to head back to Mattarella with a negative outcome.[42] Following the unsuccessful government formation, Mattarella invited Mario Draghi for the next day at the Quirinal Palace with the intention to offer him the task to form a technocratic government.[43][44] On 3 February, Draghi officially accepted with reservation the task of forming a new cabinet and started the consultations with the presidents of the two houses.[45] On the same day, he also met Giuseppe Conte,[46] who officially endorsed him on the following day.[47]

    See also

    References
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