The prime minister of Italy, Mario Draghi, announced that he would step down from his position on Thursday as a result of one of his coalition partners not participating in a vote of confidence.
The confidence vote had been a focal point for divisions within Draghi’s government as its parties prepare to compete in a national election due in early 2023.
In a statement distributed by his office, Draghi declared that the conditions for a continuation of the governing coalition “no longer existed” and that the “confidence pact on which this government was based” had “dissolved”.
The 5-Star party’s decision to boycott the confidence vote on Thursday threw Italy into political uncertainty, risking undermining efforts to secure billions of euros in European Union funds, combat a damaging drought, and reduce its reliance on Russian gas.
Draghi raised the stakes by saying he would not want to lead a government without 5-Star, which won the previous election in 2018 but has since suffered defections and a loss of public support.
