Mario Draghi, Italy’s reluctant ‘last hope’ for a unity government to save Italy embroiled in its greatest crisis since the second world war, is edging towards getting preliminary support from two key parties. The announcement that he had been asked brought a reaction of euphoria since he is known as ‘super Mario’, saviour of the euro when head of the EU Central Bank after the crash. He had been relaxing in semi-retirement, and according to a friend only agreed out of a sense of duty.
The pandemic has further weakened an economy that has barely grown in real terms for two decades, weighed down by inefficient bureaucracy, poor investment and the euro. In 2020 it suffered a record post-war recession.
He’ll find the bear pit of Rome’s rancorous politics a minefield more difficult to handle than the ECB. But many believe that no other Italian is capable of commanding the same level of respect. If he fails then yet another election will be called.
Born 3 September 1947 in Rome, he is a charming and understated Sun, Venus and Mercury in Virgo; with the unyielding Saturn Pluto in Leo with Saturn square Jupiter in Scorpio opposition North Node in Taurus. His Moon is in Aries probably opposition Neptune and square Mars in Cancer, so not short of initiative or drive.
When he took over the Chair of the ECB in 2011 the tr Pluto square tr Uranus was in place for a rolling series of disruptions throughout his term till 2019.
This year he looks jangled and on edge with his Solar Arc Mars square his Uranus; and finding his life turned upside down by tr Uranus square his Pluto from June onwards and more so in 2022 with tr Uranus square his Saturn. He has some catastrophic transits to two Mars midpoints 2022 to 2024 plus a couple of jolting and unstable Solar Arcs. If he does get it together and stay the course it’ll take all his formidable endurance to find any kind of a solution.
Italy itself looks very stressed till almost mid decade – see previous post January 27 2021.
It’s clear Draghi’s Government is intended as a kind of interim solution. An older stateman who has been absent from daily politics stepping in at a moment of major political realignment isn’t by no mean unprecedented in Italy, either. It gives parties time to rethink their alliances. It’s said Draghi has presidential aspirations, and him taking reins up until the next elections, scheduled to early part of 2023, but now more than likely to happen in 2022, could be seen as a pre-run for a presidency, requiring a 2/3 majority in electoral college consisting of MPs, Senators and representatives of regions, too. Having gotten a surprising “yes” from Salvini, who practically made his career by slashing Draghi, probably means he’d be a clear favorite to that position.
In fact, I’d say what’s happening behind the scenes is far more interesting. It seems both populist parties winning the 2018 Elections on “eurosceptic” messaging, Lega and M5S, are now divided on subject, for very different reasons. Lega has a strong entrepreneurial arm especially in original Lega Nord strongholds, such as Veneto. Here, business people have been concretely spooked both by covid-19 restrictions on free circulation of labor in EU and Brexit strain their British business partners. With M5S, the divide has been visible for a longer period, early often rather anarchic, anti-establishment activists (my Ex was one of them) have not exactly been thrilled about M5S morphing into just another party.
I wouldn’t be surprised if, by the end of this year-early next year, especially with tr. Saturn opposition to Italy 1946 Chart Sun/Uranus, political party lines would have been drastically redrawn – and not just in the way that has been used since Berlusconi’s ascendant in politics in early 1990’s (interestingly the last tr. Saturn opposition to Sun/Uranus), which has often been rebranding more than anything.
The reason I ask about France is tr. Pluto going over the French Asc. (and that of Macron).
France also has Pluto (Auquarius) in the first house and it forms the basis of a Yod with retrograde Mercury in Virgo and the 8th (Koch) and the Black Moon in Cancer and the 6th…
Any chance you could have a look at France Marjorie – looks a bit difficult over the next few years….?
Disappointing reading. Though not totally unexpected.
Hopefully, Draghi helps Italy to buy some additional time to mend, like he did for the Euro.
Euro and Italy, when Draghi leaves, will rely on other competent people to carry on the work.