Foreign
NEW Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi called for politicians to make a joint effort against the coronavirus pandemic in his first major policy speech on Wednesday.
The ex-president of the European Central Bank (ECB) presented his goals to the Senate for the first time since being sworn in.
Draghi asked for the Senate’s trust regarding Italy’s “national responsibility”.
The speech also touched on the enormous cuts caused by the pandemic and stressed the importance of the European concept.
The speech had been hotly anticipated, as Draghi had not made any extensive comments to the public since his inauguration on Saturday.
His speech put an end to more than four weeks of the political crisis in the coronavirus-stricken nation.
Draghi is expected to face a vote of confidence in the Senate late Wednesday, after several hours of debate, and a vote in the larger lower house is due to follow on Thursday.
His new government is expected to be voted through in both chambers.
Draghi has chosen 23 ministers from across the political spectrum as well as a number of key technocrats, with the aim of unifying Italy in the face of dual health and economic crises.
The previous government of Giuseppe Conte collapsed after a falling-out with a coalition ally over the use of funds from the European Union to recover from the coronavirus crisis. (dpa/NAN)
-Feb, 17, 2021 14:15 AM
Tags: Italy’s Draghi stresses ‘national responsibility’ before Senate vote
