Italian President Sergio Mattarella was re-elected for a second term this Saturday (29) after a deadlock in votes to define his successor. Mattarella agreed to be reappointed for another seven years in office following a request made by party leaders, who closed a deal around his name to put an end to a week of uncertainty and seven rounds of inconclusive votes.
In Italy, voting for the presidency is indirect, with an electoral college formed by 1,008 deputies, senators and regional representatives, and agreements are common. Mattarella’s re-election was confirmed with 759 votes, well above the simple majority (505) required in a process that extends beyond the fourth round of voting, according to local rules.
During the previous seven votes, the parties were unable to settle on another name. The prime minister himself, Mario Draghi, showed interest in the candidacy to succeed Mattarella, frustrated in the face of concerns about possible difficulties in his replacement in office. Now, the perception is of a possible deterioration in relations between the parties of the ruling coalition, eroded by the electoral process.
Mattarella had already indicated a lack of interest in remaining in the presidency after February 3, when he would end his time in office, but the inability of politics to find another solution made him change his mind. In a brief message read by him at the Quirinal Palace this Saturday (29), he stated that “the complex days that passed during the election of the head of state and the serious emergency situation that we face, from a sanitary, economic and society, demand a sense of responsibility and respect for Parliament’s decisions”, making clear his agreement with the re-election.
The inauguration ceremony will take place next week, when Mattarella will become the second Italian president to repeat the term. The first was Giorgio Napolitano in 2013 – also despite having said he would retire.
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