Draghi Signals He’s Staying Put, Not Interested in Presidency

(Bloomberg) -- Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi indicated he thinks his government is stable and that he’s not a candidate to be the country’s head of state. 

The question came up during a news conference when he was asked about the risk of an impending government crisis amid a looming battle to elect Italy’s next president. “I see no disaster on the horizon,” the former central banker said in Rome on Thursday. “I am definitely not worried about myself.”

Draghi is regularly floated as a top contender to succeed President Sergio Mattarella, whose term runs out in January 2022. While a president’s powers are largely ceremonial, his influence becomes crucial during Italy’s frequent government crises. Draghi’s election to the Quirinale, as the presidential palace is known, would cut short his government and possibly lead to an early vote.

“I find a bit offensive to think about the Quirinale as another possibility,” Draghi said in response to a journalist asking him about that scenario.

The various parties are positioning themselves ahead of the presidential vote, which is an important piece of the puzzle ahead of general elections slated for Spring in 2023. Politicians off all stripes are making their calculations on how long the government will survive as they eye future coalitions. Current polling shows that a center-right coalition is the likeliest.

Read more: Draghi Has Stabilized Italy. His Next Task Will Shape His Legacy

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