Crispian Ballmer and Giuseppe Fonte

ROME, (Reuters) – Italy’s parliament voted to elect a new president for a sixth time on Saturday. But the parties remain divided by a potential candidate. The leaders are struggling to control their legislators.

Sergio Mattarella’s seven-year mandate ends on February 3. His week-long search for a replacement revealed the fragility of Italian politics. It also highlighted the failures in leadership within the centre-right blocs.

Corriere della Sera, the top-selling newspaper in Italy said that it was “seeking a name among chaos.” L’Avvenire, a Catholic newspaper wrote that there are more vetoes and votes.

Late Friday, the heads of rightist League and the 5-Star Movement, an ally to the centre-left said they wanted women to run for president. They indicated that there was a deal.

According to political sources, both sides were said to be backing Elisabetta belloni, the head of the secret service. However, the news sparked a strong backlash from the other parties. This splintered the centre-right bloc as well as sowing discontent in the ranks of 5-Star.

Italy’s president has a strong position. He can appoint prime ministers. The president also often helps to solve political problems in the third largest economy in the Euro zone. Governments survive on average only one year.

Unlike in the United States or France, where heads of state get elected in a popular vote, in Italy, 1,009 parliamentarians and regional representatives chose the winner in a secret ballot https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/italian-presidential-elections-shrouded-parliamentary-secrecy-2022-01-13, which party leaders sometimes struggle to control.

MATTARELLA ADVANCES

Mattarella’s supporters have threatened to ignore their leaders, and instead take over the situation. However, Mattarella himself is not interested in a second mandate.

He received 336 votes in Friday’s second round, up 160 from Thursday and 125 Wednesday. In a headline on the front page, La Repubblica newspaper stated that Mattarella is wanted by Parliament.

Although it’s not certain if Mattarella would be willing to accept another term at 80, most lawmakers think his reappointment allows the government and the state to continue to fight the COVID-19 epidemic.

The inability to reach any kind of consensus over the years has poisoned political climate, which could have dangerous implications for stability of Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s government.

Draghi, himself, has indicated that he is interested in the presidency, however, major parties are refusing to allow Draghi to cast his vote. Partly because of concerns about the possibility of the unstable government collapsing due to an abrupt change of roles.

Voting resumed Saturday with no orders from any party regarding how lawmakers should vote. The various blocs were apparently at odds.

Giuseppe Conte, 5-Star’s chief executive, did not attend a meeting of center-left leaders. Meanwhile the Forza Italia party of the centre-right declared it will no longer seek to partner with its old allies the League of Brothers of Italy and the Brothers of Italy.