Silvio Berlusconi pulls out of Italy’s presidential race
- The 85-year-old former premier had campaigned behind the scenes for weeks for presidency
- Prime Minister Mario Draghi remains the favourite to be elected Italy’s next head of state
Billionaire former premier Silvio Berlusconi withdrew from the race for Italy’s presidency on Saturday, two days before voting starts, but repeated his opposition to Prime Minister Mario Draghi taking the job.
The 85-year-old media mogul, who is still embroiled in legal proceedings over his infamous “Bunga Bunga” sex parties, insisted he had the support in parliament to win – something analysts doubted.
But in a statement issued to the media, he said he was withdrawing in the spirit of “national responsibility”, to avoid further controversy.
Draghi, a former European Central Bank chief who has led Italy’s coalition government for the past year, remains the favourite to be elected head of state next week.
The governing parties, which range from left to right, including Berlusconi’s Forza Italia, have however yet to reach a deal – and with voting secret, the result is notoriously hard to predict.
More than 1,000 MPs, senators and regional representatives will begin voting Monday, with several rounds – each taking a day – expected before a result.
