ROME, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- The recent decision by Italy's "great electors" to reappoint Sergio Mattarella to a second seven-year term as Italy's president ended a six-day stalemate without changing either the president or the prime minister -- the country's two most powerful political figures. But analysts say that the country's political landscape could still see changes despite keeping the familiar faces at the top.
In their opinion, the fact that both Mattarella and Prime Minister Mario Draghi -- himself a candidate for the president's post -- will keep their positions does not mean the government would necessarily stay the same course.
Mattarella, 80, originally said he did not want to serve a second term as president. But he was reportedly convinced to change his mind and stay on after no other candidate managed to gain widespread support.
"There was a great deal of uncertainty and after days of debate the best option for most electors was to keep things the way they were," Gian Franco Gallo, a political affairs analyst with ABS Securities in Milan, told Xinhua. "Italy will benefit from the continuity."
This was in evidence on Monday, the first trading day since Mattarella and Draghi were reaffirmed in their positions. The Italian Stock Exchange in Milan surged more than two percent as investors breathed a sigh of relief.
But last Saturday's developments have left some new challenges.
If Mattarella serves his full term, which will run until 2029, he would be the country's longest-serving president since the position was created in 1948. Until now, the longest-serving president was Mattarella's predecessor, Giorgio Napolitano, who served a full seven-year term plus a two-year extension that ended in 2015.
Before Napolitano, none of the ten previous presidents had served more than one seven-year term.
In Italy, the president is the head of state, meaning he has broad powers, such as appointing the prime minister, approving other ministers and calling of national referenda. He also has ceremonial roles.
According to Gallo, the debates that led up to Saturday's decision could signal changes to the coalition behind Draghi. "It would not be a surprise to see some changes in the coming weeks," Gallo said.
Francesco Galietti, founder of Policy Sonar, a political risk consultancy, said the coming weeks will tell the tale.
"We have to understand if the key ingredient of Draghi's government, his coalition, will still be intact," Galietti told Xinhua. "The uncertainty will play out over the coming days and weeks."
The next big challenge for the government will come next year, when Italy is scheduled to hold general elections, the first since 2018.
No date has yet been set for that vote, but the rules require that the vote be completed before June 1 of next year, with a total of 400 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 200 Senate seats up for grabs. ■
