Efforts to Form a Government in Italy Fail

The Italian President's opposition to the proposed candidate for the Ministry of Economy has rendered efforts to form a government fruitless, increasing the likelihood of new elections in the country. Sergio Mattarella, the President of Italy, announced on May 27 that he is unwilling to accept the candidate proposed by Giuseppe Conte, the nominee for Prime Minister, for the Ministry of Economy. The proposed candidate for the Ministry of Economy is considered a critic of the country's membership in the Euro. Mr. Mattarella stated in a public speech that he would approve all proposed cabinet options, but he is not willing to accept Paolo Savona, the 81-year-old candidate proposed by the right-wing League party and the populist Five Star Movement for the Ministry of Economy. The President of Italy believes that such a candidate could have negative consequences for the country's economy; "The Minister of Economy is always a message that can be seen as an alarm bell or a basis for building trust." Sergio Mattarella has expressed a desire for someone to be introduced for the Ministry of Economy who does not support the position of Italy leaving the Euro. Paolo Savona has described the Euro, the European currency, as a "German cage" and believes that his country should be prepared to "leave the Euro if necessary." A potential exit of Italy, the third-largest economy in the Eurozone, could lead to a widespread economic and political crisis. Matteo Salvini, the leader of the League party, has warned that the rejection of their candidate for the Ministry of Economy could completely undermine efforts to form a government. The leader of the populist Five Star Movement has gone further and called for the impeachment of the President. The elections in Italy last winter did not yield a clear winner, and none of the parties or coalitions were able to achieve the 40 percent threshold needed to form a government. The Five Star Movement received 33 percent of the votes, the League party about 17 percent, the center-right party 14 percent, and the center-left party 23 percent. Right-wing parties focused extensively on the issue of immigration in Italy during the recent elections. Meanwhile, the 10.8 percent unemployment rate and the sluggish economy of Italy were other key issues in the electoral campaigns. Italy has the second-highest debt in the European Union after Greece.