ROME—Italian Premier Mario Draghi offered to step down Thursday after a populist coalition ally refused to support a key government bill, but the nation’s president rejected the resignation, telling Draghi to see if he can still find a majority in Parliament willing to support him.
Draghi’s broad unity coalition government—which includes parties from the right, the left, the center and the populist 5-Star Movement—was designed to help Italy recover from the coronavirus pandemic. He took office in February 2021.
Hours earlier, Draghi and his government won a confidence vote, 172–39, in the Senate despite the refusal by the 5-Star Movement to back the bill, which earmarked 26 billion euros (dollars) to help consumers and industries struggling with soaring energy prices. But the snub, orchestrated by 5-Star leader Giuseppe Conte, Draghi’s predecessor, did its damage….
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