Italy has seen dozens of governments since the end of World War II, so it's very accustomed to political crises. But the tumult now roiling its political parties is playing out differently as Premier Mario Draghi's future as the nation's leader hangs in the balance.
Draghi's offered to resign last week after a coalition partner, the populist 5-Star Movement, boycotted an important Senate vote. But Italy's president declined to accept the resignation — for now, at least. Draghi is not a politician, and in his 17 months in office at the helm of an unusual “national unity” government, he has gained statesman status in Western Europe for his staunch support of aid for Ukraine and for his shepherding efforts to enact economic reforms.
