Update: Letta Has Resigned; Renzi Is Expected to be Given a Mandate to Form a Government

Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta submitted his resignation Friday, which was accepted by President Giorgio Napolitano. 

The outgoing Premier, who heads a temporary caretaker government, opted not to submit to a confidence vote in Parliament, as his own center-left party had overwhelmingly voted to call for a new government.  A confidence vote, even if lost by Letta, would have allowed Parliament, specifically, the Chamber of Deputies, the representatives of the people, to cause the Government’s downfall, instead of the party in a return to Italy’s post-war style of revolving-door governments.

Napolitano has ruled out new elections, as the much-maligned current election law, which has been ruled unconstitutional by the highest Italian court, and the significant support for the populist anti-establishment opposition party, would not likely allow any party to win a majority to govern and result in another hung parliament like the one in 2013 that necessitated Letta’s unprecedented center-left-right coalition government.  Thus, the selection of the new prime minister is up to the center-left party, the largest in Parliament, who wants its leader, Matteo Renzi to be the next Prime Minister of Italy.

After consultations with all the parties in Parliament, Napolitano is prepared to give a mandate to the Renzi, to form a government.  In order to gain the required parliamentary majority, another grand coalition executive of the center-left and center-right is necessary, as the incoming Premier will need the support not only of his own party and the centrists, but also of the New Center Right Party, which split with the center-right party that was led by former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and opted to remain in government.  In addition to the typical negotiation over the make-up of the cabinet, the New Center Right is seeking assurances about Renzi’s plans and expressing opposition to inviting a left-wing party into the grand coalition.  Both center-right parties backed Renzi’s plan to reform the election law. 

The center-left party thanked Letta for his service and its new leader who deposed him did offer praise.  The outgoing Premier was also thanked for his reforms by European leaders.  They were joined by United States President Barack Obama, who thanked Letta also for maintaining Italy’s friendship with the U.S.