By Gavin Jones and Angelo Amante
ROME (Reuters) – The Italian parliament will convene on Jan. 24 to choose a new head of state to replace President Sergio Mattarella, who is leaving, as the House Speaker decreed on Tuesday.
The election of a new president of the Republic could have major repercussions for the future of Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s government, which is trying to contain a new wave of infections by Covid-19.
Draghi made it clear that he would like to become president, which would take his 11-month government to an end, and leave the country with the choice of nominating a new prime minister or holding elections a year earlier than scheduled.
However, there are no guarantees that the 74-year-old former European Central Bank president will be chosen for the job.
The first choice for Italy’s centre-right parties is 85-year-old former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
Other figures considered for the position are former mayor Pier Ferdinando Casini, former prime minister and current Minister of Justice, Marta Cartabia.
The president, elected for a seven-year term, usually has a largely ceremonial role, but enjoys extensive powers after elections or when a government falls. He has the final say in the appointment of the prime minister and other cabinet members.
The election, conducted by secret ballot among more than a thousand parliamentarians and regional representatives, is an unpredictable process that often takes several days.
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