Italy’s president Napolitano to step down

Italy’s veteran President Giorgio Napolitano was expected to resign
Wednesday, setting the stage for the election of a new head of
state, a thorny process which could prove a political headache for
Matteo Renzi’s government.
The 89-year old had announced in December that he would be
leaving office, well before the expiry of his term in 2020, because
of his advancing age.
He had been persuaded in 2013 to stay on for an unprecedented
second term after deadlocked elections sparked a political crisis in
the eurozone’s third-largest economy — but had always been
expected to step down early.
Prime Minister Renzi paid tribute to the president on Tuesday,
telling the European Parliament that Napolitano had been a man
driven by the desire to reform, who “faced moments of great
difficulty with intelligence and wisdom.”
Once Napolitano formally resigns, the parliament has to meet
within 15 days along with 58 regional deputies to choose a new
president.
Potential candidates for the new head of state include former
prime ministers Romano Prodi and Giuliano Amato, as well as
Economy Minister Pier Carlo Padoan, Defence Minister Roberta
Pinotti and former Rome mayor Walter Veltroni.
European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi on Wednesday rejected
speculation that he had his eye on the job.
“The election of the President of the Republic, just like the election
of the pope, is completely unpredictable, but unlike a conclave
(papal election), it doesn’t even have the help of the Holy Spirit,”
said Luigi La Spina, editorialist for La Stampa daily.
While the post of president in Italy is largely ceremonial, it takes on
vital importance during times of political crisis when the president
can help steer the formation of a new government.
- ‘Election will be complex’ -
“Napolitano has been president in one of the most difficult phases
in our country, not just politically but economically,” Francesco
Clementi, professor of constitutional law at the Luiss University in
Rome, told AFP.
“I think the presidential election will certainly be complex… the
government will have to work hard” to find a figure who will suit
parties from across the political spectrum, he said.
The election does carry political risks for Renzi, whose government
was ushered into power last year with Napolitano’s blessing.
The successful candidate must win the votes of two-thirds of
lawmakers in both houses of parliament — and Renzi will need to
keep the more rebellious wing of his party in line to ensure he gets
his man.
The 40-year old will want a candidate who can help bridge political
differences which otherwise threaten to scupper the PM’s
ambitious reform programme.
And a candidate willing to dissolve parliament and call snap
elections if asked to do so by Renzi, who experts say has not ruled
out the idea as a last resort to getting his way on the reforms.
Christian Schulz, Berenberg senior economist, warned investors
would be watching closely “after the recent experience of Greece,
where the pro-reform government tripped over presidential
elections on 29 December, triggering snap elections that look set
to be won by the radical left.”
“Failure to elect a president would probably force new elections,
maybe even a change of leadership in the ruling Democratic
Party,” he said.
In order to stave off a crisis, Renzi may be forced to clinch a deal
with the opposition, particularly former premier Silvio Berlusconi —
a likely but controversial move bound to spark a heated response
from those on the far left of his Democratic Party (PDP)