Dario Cristiani
During his first six months in office, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has notched several key accomplishments. In June, he secured the European Union’s approval for Italy’s COVID-19 rescue package, totaling 191.5 billion euros, or roughly $224 billion, giving it the largest share of the bloc’s 750-billion-euro pandemic recovery fund. Then, in late July, Draghi’s Cabinet signed off on a contentious overhaul of the Italian justice system, a goal that had eluded many previous governments. However, as local elections approach and Italy enters the so-called the “semestre bianco”—the white semester – a new political phase is opening in Rome, one that could cause some more headaches to the Prime Minister than in recent months.
