ROME: Italy’s deadlocked parliament reconvenes on Friday, with a battle for the positions of speaker in each house laying the ground for a future fight over who will lead a new government.
The newly-elected lower house Chamber of Deputies and upper house Senate will begin the process of electing their new speakers after parliament opens.
The right-wing coalition led by nationalist Matteo Salvini’s League party, which gained the most votes with 37 percent, is aiming for the Senate position and the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5s), Italy’s largest single party with 33 percent, is going for the Chamber.
Friday’s vote is important because, until both are chosen, consultations between Italy’s President Sergio Mattarella and those vying to form a new government can’t begin.
There are two distinct voting systems in place for the Chamber and the Senate speakers, which could see voting last until Easter and maybe even beyond.
The selection of the 321-seat Senate speaker is relatively straightforward, with the winning candidate being chosen after a maximum of four rounds of voting over the weekend.
If no-one achieves an absolute majority by the third round, the two most popular candidates of the third ballot will face a run-off.
The right is favourite for the Senate speaker, as it currently holds 135 seats and is only 26 away from a majority. A few seats are still officially unassigned in both houses.
The vote for the Chamber’s speaker is potentially more complicated, with no limit to the number of ballots that can be held before a candidate is elected and no one group close to a majority.
