At the last European Council gathering, Italy’s outgoing premier shared a candid farewell. With a reserved smile and a simple line, Mario Draghi left the stage after twenty months at the helm, a tenure punctuated by party factionalism and internal wrangling that often shadowed broader global crises, including ongoing wars and economic turmoil.
From Brussels, Draghi stated that he would refrain from offering recommendations to the incoming director, explaining that ministers and the Council’s chairman had prepared dossiers outlining the near-term challenges. His aim was for the new administration to hit the ground running and begin its work swiftly.
Draghi, a former head of the European Central Bank who also led Italy, prepared to bid farewell during a Sunday ceremony at Palazzo Chigi. The Italian government’s residence would pass to Giorgia Meloni, the country’s new right‑of‑center prime minister. The moment was broadcast live, staged as a symbolic handover in the palace’s courtyard before moving to the Hall of the Gallions. The scene carried weight, yet the parallels to the past were not to be drawn too closely.
A breath of success
Few leaders have steered the euro through a crisis as severe as the one in 2012. Draghi, stepping into the presidency of the ECB, pressed ahead with a crisis management mindset that earned him broad support. Requested by President Sergio Mattarella, he helped forge a national unity government, a move that attracted broad consensus from most major parties, with the notable exception of Meloni’s bloc.
The political landscape in Italy at the time was tense. The vaccination drive faced skepticism, and the economy endured the shadow of the pandemic. Draghi’s leadership, coupled with his efforts to strengthen European ties, contributed to a perception of Italy as a model for stability and resilience. The year closed with robust GDP growth and a reframed image of Rome within the European framework.
Antipodes
Even as the year progressed, events abroad tested leadership at home. The war in Ukraine and its repercussions brought new pressures, yet Draghi managed to reduce Italy’s reliance on Russian energy imports more quickly than expected. He continued to steer Italy toward the targets set by Brussels, including post-pandemic recovery funds allocated to the country through EU programs.
These developments stood in contrast to the shift that followed. Meloni took office after early elections, a change driven by a political realignment that left Draghi’s broad coalition with limited momentum. Several parties withdrew their backing, contributing to the perception that Draghi’s broad, technocratic mandate had run its course. The new government marked a turning point, moving forward with a different balance of power and a fresh legislative agenda that reflected Meloni’s approach.