Italy’s coalition government on edge, in danger of losing vote of confidence

Italian coalition government has been witnessing political crisis. The country’s prime minister Giuseppe Conte, who won vote of confidence in lower house on Monday, has been under a lot of pressure as the main test of his political prowess depends on the vote in the upper house, the Senate due on Tuesday. The Italy’s ruling government has been on the edge, since former prime minister Matteo Renzi withdrew the support of his party Italia Viva (Italy Alive) from the ruling coalition last week.

Conte‘s lower house win gave him a little hope, where the government escaped defeat by 321 to 259 votes. The coalition won by greater than expected margin, but the danger of losing power continue to loom until the result of the upper house would be out. In his speech, given at the lower house, Conte said that the country was at a precarious turn, when forming a new government would be too risky an affair. Conte said that the need of the hour was to stand together to fight the exiting battles against Covid-19 pandemic and crumbling economy. He added that Italy needed “a cohesive government,” with “an essential European mission, pursuing a clear choice of field against nationalist tendencies.”  

He said, “We risk losing touch with reality … All our energies should be focused on the urgent crisis facing the country,” referring to the pandemic onslaught. The country had been one of the worst impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, which claimed over 82,000 lives and reduced its economy to ruins. Amidst the global health tragedy, Conte defended his government’s efforts in dealing with the situation put forward by the unprecedented disease.

Conte’s center-left coalition government, at present include the left-wing populist Five Star Movement (MS5) and the center-left Democratic Party (PD) as its remaining allies after Renzi’s exit. Critics slammed former premier’s exit from the coalition government, triggering political crisis in the country at the juncture when nation was battling a major health disaster. Renzi orchestrated the resignation of two cabinet ministers and a junior minister following a disagreement with Conte over spending of EU fund as the nation is bound to receive €209 billion ($250 billion) as a recover fund from the bloc.