[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] Former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi announced on the 22nd (local time) through a statement that he is withdrawing from the presidential election race.
Berlusconi, who unofficially began campaigning since the end of last year with the support of the right-wing coalition composed of Forza Italia (FI) and others, ultimately withdrew after failing to overcome opposition from left-wing parties such as the Five Star Movement (M5S), the largest party in parliament, and the Democratic Party (PD).
In the statement, he said, "I have decided to find another way to serve the country," and added, "I want to thank the supporters who have backed me so far." He also stated, "The right-wing coalition will propose a candidate who can achieve the greatest consensus."
Berlusconi transformed from a conglomerate owner of construction and media groups into a politician and served as prime minister three times, but was continuously embroiled in scandals including collusion between politics and business, media control, bribery, and accounting fraud. In 2013, he was convicted of tax evasion and temporarily stepped down from public office.
With Berlusconi's withdrawal from the presidential race, the right-wing coalition plans to search for and announce a new candidate before the election begins.
Unlike South Korea, where the president is directly elected by the people, the Italian president is elected by an electoral college consisting of 1,009 members: 321 from the Senate, 630 from the Chamber of Deputies, and 58 regional representatives. A candidate must receive support from two-thirds of the voters, and if no candidate obtains enough votes after three rounds, a candidate with a majority will be elected in the fourth round.
Currently, the Italian presidential election is expected to be a showdown between incumbent Prime Minister Mario Draghi and incumbent President Sergio Mattarella.
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