In the first weeks of the new, 2022, Italy became the main supplier of sensations in European politics, one after another, presenting two of them.
The election of a new president of the country, who was supposed to replace the 80-year-old Sergio Mattarella, who was going to resign on February 3, unexpectedly turned into a grandiose political spectacle.
On the European continent, with its increasingly insipid, colorless politics of buttoned-up technocratic functionaries, today, perhaps, only temperamental Italians are able to give such a thing.
The first sensation was the shocking news that the upcoming elections at the end of January of Sergio Mattarella's successor could lead to the return of Silvio Berlusconi.
Adored by some and ardently disliked by others, the most famous Italian politician, who, as it turned out, could now become president.
At one time, having said goodbye to the “era of Berlusconi”, who headed the government three times in less than 30 years, Italy suddenly realized that it was in a hurry.
This happened after Silvio Berlusconi, who celebrated his 85th birthday in September last year, already in January made it clear that he was ready to shake the old days.
Namely, to try to take a spectacular revenge for all the numerous trials against him, for all his reproach, by realizing his blue dream to one day become the head of state and an inhabitant of the presidential Quirinal Palace in Rome.
This idea did not look unrealizable and all the more insane.
Having arranged a dinner for his political associates in his new Roman residence Villa Grande, Silvio Berlusconi agreed with them that he would become the single right-wing candidate in the upcoming presidential elections.
However, the first sensation lived a few days.
Silvio Berlusconi withdrew his candidacy without explanation, doing so as suddenly as he had agreed to his nomination before.
Why he did this remains a mystery, but there can only be two reasons.
Or he realized that his election would split Italy and, in the name of preserving national unity, decided not to rock the boat, taking control of his irrepressible political ego.
Or he came to the conclusion that the coveted 505 votes in the Grand Jury of Electors, consisting of members of parliament and representatives of the regions, will still fail.
According to estimates, he could not have had about 60 votes, for which in the time remaining before the elections he had to fight desperately, processing each elector.
But Berlusconi eventually gave up on the elections, putting an end to his presidential ambitions.
Meanwhile, the date of departure of Sergio Mattarella was approaching inexorably, and there were no candidates on the horizon who could become his successor - neither in the right nor in the left camp.
Theoretically, it could be the current Prime Minister Mario Draghi, but for this he would have to leave the government, which would then have to be re-formed.
However, the price of such a castling could be too high for the country - Italy was threatened with a political crisis, and this idea, which was in the air, had to be abandoned.
But where then to take the president, given that he was supposed to be a very special person.
Not just a policy-function.
Although Italy is a parliamentary republic, the president in it not only performs a representative function, but also acts as the guarantor of the Constitution and national unity.
During governmental crises, which happen here often, it is the president who decides on the way out, dissolves the parliament and announces early elections.
Taking into account the mission entrusted to him, the president of Italy becomes a politician who is able to represent the country, act as the highest authority and, remaining above the fray, in critical situations help the right and left to find a compromise.
Sergio Mattarella became just such a president, unraveling the tangle of contradictions of 2018, which first led to a months-long government collapse, and then to endless balancing on the verge of government crises and the change of three cabinets of ministers at once.
A year ago, Mattarella found a life-saving formula for political consensus to rise above internal party squabbles and create a government of broad unity led by former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi.
This new and unusual stability for Italy made it possible to make unpopular decisions related to the coronavirus pandemic, as well as to begin the implementation of reforms that became a condition for receiving EU financial assistance.
It is not surprising that this alignment suited almost everyone - at least for the period until the next parliamentary elections in the spring of 2023, and Sergio Mattarella was his guarantor.
But the whole trouble was that he refused to be re-elected for a second term after he exchanged his ninth decade.
After listening to his New Year's address, the Italians took it as a farewell.
Moreover, shortly before the presidential elections, which began on January 24 and consisted of several rounds, the presidential press service even distributed photographs of boxes with packed things, thereby confirming that their owner was preparing to leave the Quirinal Palace.
Meanwhile, in the course of seven rounds of voting, which lasted five days, right and left did not manage to agree on a common candidate.
But the country cannot remain without a president!
As a result, the leaders of the leading political parties came to a common opinion: Sergio Mattarella should still be re-elected.
Prime Minister Draghi also supported this decision.
Now it remained to convince Mattarella himself, who had already prepared with his things for the exit.
To do this, a delegation of leaders of the parliamentary factions of the government majority went to the Quirinal Palace to ask him to agree to re-election.
The President realized that he had no choice - he had to agree.
“Difficult days and an emergency make us not give up responsibility, as this is more important than personal expectations,” he explained his decision.
The electors supported his re-election by 759 votes.
When the coveted figure of 505, necessary for election, was much exceeded, the hall burst into applause.
This amazing Italian story, which shed light on how the politics of this country works, has a universal meaning.
Everything about her is unusual.
First of all, the decision of Sergio Mattarella, who refuted the common truth “when leaving, leave” and at a critical moment did not say “that’s it” to himself and the nation.
The point of view of the author may not coincide with the position of the editors.