![]() Traditionally, parties across the spectrum come together to elect a head of state who is supposed to be above the partisan fray during the seven-year tenure. The president, however, helps to authoritatively mediate Italy’s frequent political squabbling in its coalition governments and can dissolve Parliament if it becomes hopelessly stalemated. Under the Constitution, the head of state is a largely ceremonial figure who represents national unity. Secret voting means the risk is also high for defections. Neither of the two major blocs in Parliament – the center-right or center-left – has the necessary majority on paper. In Friday’s evening round, Mattarella gained the most votes - 336 - indicating that for the time being at least no other name was ripe to attract significant traction. 3.īut with political consensus across the party spectrum so far failing to materialize, lobbying could swell to persuade him to change his mind. He recently rented an apartment in Rome, preparing for his move out of the presidential Quirinal Palace when his term runs out on Feb. Outgoing President Sergio Mattarella, 80, has repeatedly said he doesn’t want a second term despite appeals from some party leaders in recent weeks. Her political career’s springboard has been the conservative Forza Italia party of former Premier Silvio Berlusconi, who himself bowed out as a candidate before voting began this week.īut her candidacy garnered only 382 votes from among Parliament’s Senate and lower Chamber of Deputies and special regional electors, far short of the simple majority of 505 needed for victory.Ī sixth round of balloting, held on Friday evening, also yielded no winner, with leaders from the center-right bloc indicating their electors were sitting out that round while behind-the-scenes negotiations continued. ![]() In each of two rounds of voting on Friday, one political bloc or the other abstained in droves from casting ballots, making plain how far apart both sides were on agreeing who should be Italy's next head of state.Īt the start of the fifth day of voting, right-wing League leader Matteo Salvini declared that the center-right bloc would vote for the Senate president, Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati. ![]() "They discussed how we can gradually phase this out," said the official.ROME – Insistence by Italy's center-right bloc that one of their candidates is vaulted to the country's presidency backfired on Friday, as tensions and frustration mounted among the rival parties forming Premier Mario Draghi's pandemic unity government and a fifth day of voting yielded no winner. They did not give more detail or say when further sanctions could be enacted.Īsked if coal imports by Poland, and EU member, from the Russia-occupied Donbass region in east Ukraine would end, the official said the matter was brought up by Baltic states during talks among the bloc's 27 national leaders late on Thursday. The third round would further eat into Russia's financial and energy sectors, the person said. "We are moving as quickly as we can," said the official, adding the bloc could also target "many more" oligarchs. The official, speaking under condition of anonymity, said the third round would freeze European assets of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. BRUSSELS, Feb 25 (Reuters) - The European Union is preparing a third round of sanctions against Russia for invading Ukraine, an official told Reuters on Friday shortly after President Volodymyr Zelenskiy lamented what he said was an insufficient reaction from Europe.
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