Sergio Mattarella’s reelection as Italy’s president will avoid a political crisis and give the Italian government several more months of stability to implement institutional and economic reforms. But the government will likely weaken as the 2023 general election approaches, which will reignite fears about Italy’s ability to grow out of its debt. After weeks of speculation and several rounds of voting, Italy’s Parliament reelected Mattarella for a second seven-year presidential term on Jan. 29. Prime Minister Mario Draghi, who had shown interest in becoming president, will now keep his post and Parliament will not have to appoint a successor. This prevents a political crisis since Italian lawmakers would have struggled to appoint a new prime minister, which would have increased the probability of an early general election....
