The Italian Parliament will begin voting on January 24 to elect the successor to the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, whose seven-year term ends on February 3, the Chamber of Deputies announced on Tuesday.
Candidates for the prestigious position include current Prime Minister Mario Draghi as well as magnate and former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
Although the functions of the president are essentially honorary in Italy since he is governed by the parliamentary system, for the delicate position a renowned personality is usually chosen, with notable mediation capacities and who is above the parties.
Although he is not in charge of the daily management of the country, the Constitution grants him key powers in the face of political crises, since he is in charge of dissolving Parliament, calling early elections and approving executives.
Most editorialists acknowledge that Italy is at a real crossroads if the current head of government is elected, as the Constitution prohibits a single person from holding both positions.
Replacing Draghi, who currently manages the health crisis and the colossal funds granted by the European Union for the post-pandemic (191,500 million euros, about 216,000 million dollars, for 2021-2026) will not be easy, so complex secret negotiations.
More than a thousand “large electors”, including deputies, senators and representatives of 20 regions, will have to elect the new president.
In the first three rounds of voting, a two-thirds majority is required, but after the fourth round of voting, a simple majority is sufficient.
Voting is done by secret ballot and in the past surprises have not been lacking.
