Designated Prime Minister Mario Draghi.
AM SWEMBAD | Getty Images News | Getty Images
LONDON – Mario Draghi has garnered enough support from Italian lawmakers and is likely to lead the country’s next government.
Members of the left-wing Five Star Movement voted to support Draghi, the designated prime minister, in an online poll conducted on Thursday, with 59.3% supporting the former head of the European Central Bank. Draghi seems to have a solid majority in Rome and no single party will be able to derail its administration.
He will now gain confidence in parliament next week and will present his cabinet to the president on Friday.
Draghi has been asked to resolve a political crisis in the third largest euro economy. The chaos began when a small party called Italia Viva withdrew its support for the fragile coalition government. This means that the EU cabinet has lost the necessary working majority in the Italian parliament, which has given rise to the prospect of a speedy election during a serious health and economic crisis.
After a meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella last week, Draghi agreed to try to form a national unity government. Draghi is known for rescuing the euro in the grip of a sovereign debt crisis and will face the difficult task of leading the economic recovery of his own country.
A government led by Draghi, though more technocratic than political, would avoid the need for quick elections, something most general politicians want to avoid. Polls show that the Lega party against immigration would win the most votes in an election, and possibly form an alliance with the far-right party Brothers of Italy.
In addition to the five-star movement, the centrist Democratic Party and Italia Viva also supported Draghi. Matteo Renzi, the leader of Italia Viva, told CNBC last week that he believes the country will be in ‘very good hands’ with Draghi.
“I’m so happy because today Italy is in very good hands,” Renzi said. “Mario Draghi was the Italian who saved the euro. Now I think he will be the European who will save Italy,” he added.