Italy's 5-Stars divided over Draghi, expel 15 senators

Italy’s 5-Star Movement says 15 senators will be expelled after they opposed Premier Mario Draghi’s newly formed government in a confidence vote

Italy Politics

Italy’s 5-Star Movement said Thursday that 15 of its senators will be expelled from the party after they voted “no” in a confidence vote for Premier Mario Draghi’s newly formed government.

The decision illustrated how Draghi’s appointment has badly split the 5-Stars, whose party was created as a grass-roots, anti-establishment protest movement opposed to the pro-European banking establishment that the new premier represents to many members. Draghi is former president of the European Central Bank and served as the Bank of Italy s governor.

The movement, the biggest vote-getter in Italy's 2018 general election, nevertheless decided to back Draghi out of a sense of national responsibility, given the crisis posed by the coronavirus pandemic and resulting economic devastation.

In a statement on the 5-Star Facebook page, party leader Vito Crimi said the 15 senators would be expelled but acknowledged the 5-Stars backed a Draghi-led government reluctantly.

According to 5-Star Movement regulations, lawmakers can be expelled if they vote contrary to the positions of the party's registered members, who are given a say on individual proposals via an online platform that is the hallmark of the 5-Stars’ brand of “direct democracy.”

In a membership vote last week, 59% of 5-Stars supported Draghi, swayed in part by his plans to emphasize environmentally sustainable growth policies.

President Sergio Mattarella asked Draghi, 73, to form a government after a small party yanked its support from the 5-Star-led government headed by now-former Premier Giuseppe Conte.

Initially, the 5-Stars refused to back Draghi, enraged that a power play had toppled Conte, plunged the country into a government crisis and resulted in a technocrat being appointed premier outside of the normal election process.

Draghi put together a broad-based government of unity that has ministers from the 5-Stars, center-right and left parties, as well as technocrats leading key ministries.

His government easily won its first confidence vote late Wednesday, when senators voted 262-40 with two abstentions in favor of his Cabinet . Joining the 15 5-Star defectors were members of the right-wing Brothers of Italy party.

More 5-Star lawmakers who go against the party line may similarly face expulsion after a confidence vote in the the lower Chamber of Deputies scheduled for later Thursday. There, too, Draghi is expected to easily win strong majority support.