Italy Presidential Election First Round Voting Begins... "Difficult to Immediately Predict Winner"

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] As Italy enters the first round of voting to elect its president, it is expected that a winner will not be decided immediately, with projections indicating the process may extend to the 4th or 5th round of voting.

According to Italy's ANSA news agency on the 24th (local time), the Italian Parliament plans to convene delegates at the Chamber of Deputies at 3 p.m. to conduct the first round of presidential voting. By regulation, the delegates consist of 321 members of the Senate, 630 members of the Chamber of Deputies, and 58 regional representatives, totaling 1,009 members. Based on past cases, it is expected that around 1,000 members will participate in the vote.

However, it is analyzed that it will be difficult for a winner to emerge on this day. Due to the seat structure of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies, which make up a large portion of the delegates, neither the left-wing nor right-wing party groups hold a majority, making it necessary to nominate a common candidate through compromise. Major parties engaged in behind-the-scenes negotiations for candidate nominations over two days from the 22nd to the 23rd but ultimately failed to find common ground. Accordingly, the first round of voting will proceed without a party line.

The Democratic Party (PD), which belongs to the broad left-wing group, is expected to submit a "blank ballot," according to ANSA. Regardless of the voting, the left and right party groups are known to continue negotiations for candidate nominations on this day as well. A meeting is also scheduled between Matteo Salvini, a senator from the far-right League party, the "leader" of the right-wing coalition, and Enrico Letta, the leader of the Democratic Party.

Currently, many forecasts suggest that Prime Minister Mario Draghi remains the most likely presidential candidate. However, some major parties feel reluctant to nominate him due to concerns about potential political instability if he resigns as prime minister, leaving his political future uncertain.

Earlier, former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi declared his withdrawal from the candidacy on the 22nd, stating that Prime Minister Draghi should remain in office to continue ongoing economic and social structural reforms. Senator Salvini also made clear his opposition to Draghi’s nomination on the 23rd, telling reporters, "It is dangerous for Prime Minister Draghi to step down during such a difficult time."

The broad left-wing group, including the largest parliamentary party, the Five Star Movement (M5S), and the Democratic Party, have not publicly opposed Draghi but generally seem to lean toward seeking alternative candidates.

Italy’s presidential election voting is conducted without an official list of candidates; delegates write their preferred names on the ballot. Voting continues daily from this day until a winner is decided. In the first to third rounds, a candidate must receive at least two-thirds (672 votes) of the delegates’ support to be elected, while from the fourth round onward, the threshold lowers to a simple majority (505 votes). Local political circles and experts predict that a winner is likely to emerge around the 27th to 28th, the dates of the 4th and 5th rounds of voting.