ROME: Italy's mayors, business organisations and union leaders urged Prime Minister Mario Draghi at the weekend to rethink his decision to resign, warning that the stability of the debt-laden country was at risk.
The populist 5-Star, riven by internal splits, says it has not withdrawn from the coalition, but has called on Draghi to give the group guarantees that he will enact its policy priorities, such as a minimum wage. But he faced pressure to change his mind amidst warnings that Italy risked losing billions of euros in European Union post-pandemic recovery funds and would struggle to contain climbing energy costs without a fully functioning government.
An array of industry, farming and trade associations also released statements urging the government to carry on while the head of Italy's largest union said stability was essential.