Berlusconi has relinquished his long-term bid to become Italian President

Journalist Silvio Berlusconi has relinquished his ambition to become Italy’s next president, as Italy prepares to elect a political leader that is known to be extremely disruptive for the next seven years.

In a statement that many were expected to leave, Berlusconi, 85, said he had enough support to win the election. The highest office in Italy.

But the four-time Prime Minister, who was found guilty of tax fraud in October 2012, said he had decided to remove his name so that it would not be considered for lawmakers. less elected.

Berlusconi’s reign was marred by rumors of corruption and bribery, eroding his ambition to become the world’s father.

“I have decided to take action on the way to national responsibility,“Berlusconi wrote on Facebook.

Many people in parliament are worried that they are electing Draghi [for the presidency] it means having new elections in the spring and they want to avoid this.

Although the right parties have promised to support Berlusconi’s election, left-wing parties have said his rise as president is unconstitutional, warning that it could lead to the collapse of Italy’s fragile coalition government. Prime Minister Mario Draghi.

Berlusconi “was difficult to sell and apparently went so far as to say that it was impossible,” said Daniele Albertazzi, an Italian political and human rights expert at the University of Surrey.

It was later reported that Berlusconi, who contracted Covid this year, became ill he was hospitalized in Milan for a routine examination.

Former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, president of the notorious 5 Star Movement, wrote on Twitter that Berlusconi’s resignation would allow for group discussions on a candidate for the presidency.

“We have made it very clear: the election of Silvio Berlusconi was unconstitutional,” Conte wrote on Twitter. “After his retirement, we move forward and begin deep dialogue between political parties to give the country a better and more legitimate reputation.”

Draghi, a former president of the European Central Bank, was elected as a presidential candidate in an election that will begin on Monday, when more than 1,000 candidates cast a secret ballot for the incumbents.

Many Italian businessmen are eager to see Draghi elected president – which would empower him to oversee Italian politics and insist on continuing the EU’s € 200bn economic and social support program.

But many politicians seem to be afraid of elevating Draghi to the presidency.

Some may prefer a less-than-ideal person. Some are concerned that the rise of Draghi could lead to the collapse of the unitary state government, as various treaties may not be able to accept a successor minister.

“It would not be possible for him to simply unveil the monuments and speak – he has real power,” Albertazzi said. “Many people in parliament are concerned that the election of Draghi means a new election at the end of spring and they want to avoid this.”

Berlusconi said it was important for the Draghi government to remain in place in order to continue its savings and economic transformation.

Italy’s presidential election is unclear, as more than 1,000 lawmakers and regional representatives try to meet in person. The electorate must be supported by two-thirds of the electorate in the first three rounds of secret ballot, but votes are reduced by 50 percent, plus one.