At the end of a series of votes in which Italian legislators failed to elect a new president for Italy, incumbent President Sergio Materella agreed to continue for another term and was elected to office. The 80-year-old, Materella, had previously expressed a desire to leave the post and vacate his seat, but the inability to find a compromise candidate acceptable to more than 1,000 parliamentarians and regional representatives changed his mind. Prime Minister Mario Draghi, who is himself considered a leading candidate for the post, reportedly persuaded Materla to continue in office.
Formal, President Italy Elected for a term of seven years. In the past, however, there have been instances where an incumbent president has resigned for a second term but retired after a few years. Materla was due to retire this week after a seven-year tenure. His stay in office symbolizes the preservation of stability in the Italian political establishment, due to fears that if Draghi is elected to the post, the government he led will fall apart and the country will go to early elections. Materella was the one who called for Draghi early last year to head a unity government, designed to rehabilitate the Italian economy from the corona crisis. Now there are those who estimate that he will make way for Draghi, but only after the next election in 2023. “In the meantime, they will continue to lead Italy steadily for another two years,” Corriere della Sera wrote.
Seven rounds of secret ballots failed to find another candidate to be agreed upon by a majority of voters. Many of the delegates refused to choose Draghi for fear of political instability. During the various rounds many of the legislators abstained (threw blank ballots), and candidates promoted by the various blocs did not receive sufficient support. In the eighth round last night, Materella was elected to the post with 759 votes (out of 1,009), and Italian legislators praised his “commitment and responsibility” for his decision to continue in office. All coalition partners welcomed the election.