MARIO DRAGHI

New far-right Premier Giorgia Meloni has used her first visit to European Union headquarters to declare that Italy will be a force to reckon with in EU affairs.

The new Italian administration is looking to finalize an order that would reinstate Italian healthcare workers who were penalized for not complying with vaccination mandates.

As Giorgia Meloni becomes Italy’s first female premier, the world is watching closely to see if she will emerge as a firebrand leader of a far-right party with neo-fascist roots or the more moderate right-wing politician who succeded in capturing 26% of the vote.

As a young teen, Italy's Giorgia Meloni embarked on an ideological quest that has propelled her to the height of government power.

How the new chancellor of the exchequer survived Johnson and Truss to become the UK’s most powerful politician.

Possible tax cuts, a fractious coalition, and feuds with friends and neighbors are an open invitation for bond vigilantes to take on Rome’s far-right government.

Far-right leader Giorgia Meloni is vowing to put Italy's national interests first in tackling soaring energy costs.

As “Italexit” becomes less likely, Brexit gets more real.

They included enacting reforms of public administration, education and health care, and investments in technology, research, tourism and culture. A first allotment of 21 billion euros, also tied to reforms and investments, was transferred to Italy in April. Meloni's Brothers of Italy, which has its roots in a neo-fascist party and campaigned on a nationalist program, won 26% of the vote. The EU funds helped propel Italy to 6% growth last year, which is slowing to around 3% this year with the impact of inflation and high energy costs. Meloni’s political opponents have protested her plans to reallocate some of the EU's Next Generation euro funds, but analysts are less alarmed.

The European Commission has signed off on the next 21-billion-euro ($20.2 billion) tranche of Italy’s pandemic recovery funds.

The Brothers of Italy party has won the most votes in Italy’s national election.

A party with neo-fascist roots has won the most votes in Italy’s national election, setting the stage for talks to form the country’s first far right-led government since World War II, with Giorgia Meloni at the helm as Italy’s first female premier.

Reaching political consensus and cementing any coalition could take weeks and a new government may only come to power in October.

Italy held elections on Sunday which may move the country to the Right, politically.

Italians were voting on Sunday in an election that could move the country's politics sharply toward the right during a critical time for Europe.

Italians were voting on Sunday in an election that could move the country's politics sharply toward the right during a critical time for Europe.

Italians head to the polls Sunday in a nationwide vote that could return the country's first female prime minister.

Before publication of opinion polls were banned 15 days ago, far-right leader Giorgia Meloni and her Brothers of Italy party, with its neo-fascist roots, led in popularity, suggesting Italians were poised to vote their first far-right government into power since World War II. But pollsters predicted turnout could be even lower than the record-setting low of 73% in the last general election in 2018. But the three populist parties in the coalition boycotted a confidence vote tied to an energy relief measure. She further distanced herself from Salvini and Berlusconi with unflagging support for Ukraine, including sending weapons so Kyiv could defend itself against Russia. In the final days of the election campaign, Salvini criticized Russian atrocities in Ukraine.

The center-left did not agree on teaming up with left-leaning populists or centrists, which is a big disadvantage in Italian elections. But populist leaders saw their parties' support steadily slipping both in opinion polls and in various mayoral and gubernatorial races since the last national election in 2018. In July, 5-Star Movement head Giuseppe Conte, right-wing League leader Matteo Salvini and former Premier Silvio Berlusconi yanked their support for Premier Mario Draghi during a confidence vote. Her far-right Brothers of Italy, a party with neo-fascist roots, won just over 4% in the 2018 election. Since the last election, a reform has been passed aimed at streamlining Parliament and make its operation less costly to taxpayers.

A Sunday parliamentary election will determine who next governs major industrial economy and key NATO member Italy.

Barring any surprises, Italy is on track to have its first far-right prime minister, following the collapse of Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s government. Elections are scheduled for Sunday -- the first to be held since constitutional changes were adopted that shrank the size of the two parliamentary chambers. It also comes as the euro area’s third-largest economy -- and one of its most indebted -- is contending with the fallout of soaring energy prices, rising interest rates and Russia’s invasion

Italian voters cast ballots on Sunday in an election that has been billed as crucial as Europe reels from the repercussions of war in Ukraine.

Prime Minister Mario Draghi has been centrist and popular. Why are voters poised to replace him with Giorgia Meloni and the Fratelli d'Italia party?

After Sunday elections, Giorgia Meloni could be the next politician to move from the fringes to a position of power.

The main candidates in Italy's general election on Sunday to elect a new Parliament and determine who next governs the country include both familiar names and lesser-known ones.

Italy's voters head to the polls on Sunday in a snap general election that is likely to see a government led by a far-right party come to power.

The energy crisis facing Italian industry and households is a top voter concern going into Sunday's parliamentary elections as fears grow that astronomically high bills will shutter some businesses and force household rationing by winter.

Italy could be on the verge of electing its first woman premier.

Organized crime is expanding its reach by taking control of struggling businesses.

“As always before Olympic Games, there are challenges — in particular light of this new emerging world order and the financial and economic crisis,” Bach said Friday. “But we have overcome some challenges in the last couple of years," Bach added, referring to games held in Tokyo and Beijing amid the coronavirus pandemic. Italian authorities have set aside more than 80 million euros ($80 million) to renovate the historic sliding track in Cortina for bobsled, luge and skeleton races. “Thanks to the new rules we were able to imagine a candidacy like Milan-Cortina,” 2026 committee coordinator Diana Bianchedi told Bach. The IOC recently created a panel for cost cutting, which makes the move to keep sliding in Cortina surprising.

Costly construction delays, a leadership vacancy linked to a volatile political climate and a lack of sponsors amid a spreading financial crisis has prompted International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach to acknowledge the “challenges” facing organizers of the 2026 Winter Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.

Flash floods triggered by heavy rain have swept through towns in a hilly central Italy.

In one town, the powerful rush of water pushed a car onto a second-story balcony, while elsewhere parked vehicles were crumpled on top of each other in the streets. “It wasn't a water bomb, it was a tsunami," Riccardo Pasqualini, the mayor of Barbara, told Italian state radio about the sudden downpour Thursday evening that devastated his town in the Marche region near the Adriatic Sea.

With Italy's election looming, the main leader of the Italian center-left alliance says the gains of a Swedish populist party with neo-Nazi roots is one more indication that fear is driving the far-right's growth in Europe.

Far-right leader Giorgia Meloni’s is gathering momentum in her push to become Italy’s first female premier.

MILAN — (AP) — Italy's push to rapidly reduce its dependence on Russian natural gas has made the country less vulnerable to an interruption of supplies, Premier Mario Draghi said Wednesday, noting that gas storage is 80% full ahead of winter and on track to hit 90% by October. Draghi told an annual summertime festival in the Adriatic seaside town of Rimini that Italy has reduced its reliance on Russian natural gas from 40% last year to half that by finding new sources in countries from Algeria to Azerbaijan. Italy could be completely independent of Russia by fall 2024 if it installs two new regasification plants, he added. Taking a swipe at right-wing parties that advocate sovereignty, Draghi said energy reliance on “a country that never stopped pursuing its imperial past is the exact opposite of sovereignty.”His comments come as Russia's war in Ukraine has driven natural gas prices to record highs, fueling inflation worldwide. “We’ll need to see how we respond to that appropriately.”In Italy, Draghi again urged an European cap on natural gas prices, which has faced resistance among other EU member states.

MILAN — (AP) — Italy's push to rapidly reduce its dependence on Russian natural gas has made the country less vulnerable to an interruption of supplies, Premier Mario Draghi said Wednesday, noting that the country has stockpiled 80% of its capacity of gas reserves ahead of winter and is on track to hit 90% by October. Draghi told an annual summertime festival in the Adriatic seaside town of Rimini that Italy has reduced its reliance on Russian natural gas from 40% last year to half that by finding new sources in countries from Algeria to Azerbaijan. Italy could be completely independent of Russia by fall 2024 if it installs two new regasification plants, he added. “Our goal of diversifying from Russian gas was fundamental to giving citizens and businesses greater certainly about the stability of supplies,” said Draghi, who resigned last month after key right-wing parties yanked support for his unity government. In Italy, Draghi again urged an European cap on natural gas prices, which has faced resistance among other EU member states.

Outgoing Italian Premier Mario Draghi said the country is less vulnerable to interruptions of Russian natural gas supplies because of its moved rapidly to reduce dependence on Moscow.

Italian far-right leader Giorgia Meloni has led her first election campaign rally in the Adriactic port city of Ancona.

Finland Partying Prime Minister FILE - Finland Prime Minister Sanna Marin attends a joint press conference with Italian Premier Mario Draghi at Chigi palace, Premier's office, in Rome, Wednesday, May 18, 2022. Finland’s prime minister is ruling out taking any drugs during a party in a private home with some friends, after a video showing six people dancing in front of camera, including Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin, was leaked. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, File) (Andrew Medichini)COPENHAGEN, Denmark — (AP) — Finland’s prime minister says she did not take any drugs during a “wild” party in a private home, adding she did nothing wrong when letting her hair down and partying with friends. A video posted on a social media shows six people dancing and mimicking a song in front of a camera, including Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin. Later in the video, Marin, 36, is on her knees on what seems to be the dance floor with her arms behind her head dancing while mimicking a song.

Finland’s prime minister has ruled out taking any drugs during a “wild” party in a private home.

Giorgia Meloni is riding a wave of popularity that next month could see her become Italy’s first female prime minister and its first far-right leader since World War II.

The country’s right-wing coalition unveiled a policy manifesto that can essentially be summed up as patriotic talk and a cocktail of misguided tax cuts.

European governments have put off preparing their citizens for Putin’s weaponization of winter. Making up for lost time will be painful.

Italy's far-right leader Giorgia Meloni, who is leading in opinion polls ahead of next month's elections, is insisting she won't be a danger to democracy if she becomes the country's next premier.

The sooner the Italian Democratic Party — and the center-left — realizes it can’t ride on the technocrat’s coattails, the better its chances will be in the Sept. 25 vote.

Italy’s firebrand former interior minister, Matteo Salvini, has put migration at the center of his electoral campaign during a visit to Lampedusa.

Mario Draghi is best known for saving the euro. But a coveted rescue of the Italian economy ended prematurely.

Italy has become synonymous with political turbulence, with the collapse of Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s ruling alliance the latest example of how tenuous a hold its leaders have on power. Elections are scheduled for Sept. 25 -- the first to be held since constitutional changes were adopted that shrank the size of the two parliamentary chambers. A right-wing coalition appears on track for a landslide victory in the vote, which comes as the euro area’s third-largest economy -- and one of its mos

A new paper from inside the club says that central bankers became over-confident in their powers. But the public and politicians need to recognize who conferred them with godlike standing.

Italy Politics Italian President Sergio Mattarella speaks at the Quirinale Presidential palace in Rome, Thursday, July 21, 2022. Italy’s president says he has dissolved Parliament after Premier Mario Draghi’s coalition fell apart. No date was set for a new election, but President Sergio Mattarella said it must be held within 70 days under Italy’s Constitution. President Sergio Mattarella was commemorating the trashing and torching by fascist thugs of a farm cooperative building in the northeastern city of Ravenna 100 years ago. Italy's fascist legacy faces increasingly scrutiny these days as the country holds an early parliamentary election on Sept 25.

Italy's president is urging Italians to reinvigorate their democracy as the country notes the 100th anniversary of an attack that paved Benito Mussolini's path to power.

The Italian political class has had a long, controversial dalliance with Moscow. This is not the time to rekindle that affair.

Brothers of Italy’s charismatic leader Giorgia Meloni has capitalized on a morass of public discontent over long-running problems. Like other far-right leaders in Europe, she rages against the country’s perceived inexorable decline.

Italy is never far from a political crisis. But the elections set for Sept. 25 will be exceptional even by Italian standards, where 67 governments have taken turns since World War II. Europeans are grappling with an energy crunch and concern that higher interest rates could touch off a panic about heavily indebted countries -- like Italy. Then there’s the likely rise of Italy’s anti-immigration right-wing parties and the exit of Prime Minister Mario Draghi, the former central banker who was seen

Rome’s next government has plenty of challenges. Leaving the euro isn’t one of them.

Mario Draghi helped restore the country's influence and reputation. With his resignation as prime minister, stability in Italy and the rest of Europe is unclear.

The European Central Bank is trying to avoid a sovereign-debt storm after raising interest rates for the first time since 2011. It’s concerned about how markets might push up borrowing costs for some of the more vulnerable nations that use the euro -- such as Italy. That sort of potential blowup in government bond yields is known as “fragmentation.” So the ECB has devised a new weapon to curb market stress, a signal of its determination to fight the forces that almost destroyed the common curren

The European Central Bank is trying to avoid a sovereign-debt storm after raising interest rates for the first time since 2011. It’s concerned about how markets might push up borrowing costs for some of the more vulnerable nations that use the euro -- such as Italy. That sort of potential blowup in government bond yields is known as “fragmentation.” So the ECB has devised a new weapon to curb market stress, a signal of its determination to fight the forces that almost destroyed the common curren

Wall Street gave back some of its strong gains from the week on Friday following discouraging readings on the global economy and another slew of profit reports from big U.S. companies.

The country needs to be some soul searching before the next election perpetuates bad politics for longer.

The move by President Sergio Mattarella comes following the resignation of Premier Mario Draghi. A new election must be held within 70 days.

APTOPIX Italy Politics Italian Premier Mario Draghi waves to lawmakers at the end of his address at the Parliament in Rome, Thursday, July 21, 2022. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini) (Andrew Medichini)ROME — (AP) — Italy is headed for an early election after its president accepted Premier Mario Draghi's resignation Thursday and decided there was no possibility for cobbling together another government following the rapid collapse of the ruling coalition. The demise of Draghi’s coalition in the eurozone’s third-largest economy and the uncertainty of what Italian voters will decide at the polls have dealt a destabilizing blow to the country and Europe amid rising inflation and Russia’s war in Ukraine. But he said he had no choice after Wednesday evening, when three key parties in Draghi's “unity” coalition refused to renew support in a confidence vote. Giorgia Meloni, who leads the Brothers of Italy, is eager to become the country's first female premier.

Italian Premier Mario Draghi’s decision to turn in his resignation after his “unity” coalition broke apart dramatically in Parliament was the latest step in a political crisis that could take months before a new government is solidly in place to lead the European Union’s third-largest economy

APTOPIX Italy Politics Italian Premier Mario Draghi waves to lawmakers at the end of his address at the Parliament in Rome, Thursday, July 21, 2022. By Thursday afternoon, about the only certainty was Italians are going to the ballot box on Sept. 25, some six months early. Its leader, Giuseppe Conte, drafted by the 5-Stars to be premier in back-to-back governments, had joined his successor's “national unity coalition." But with Salvini itching for years to become premier, Meloni might face a Salvini-Berlusconi deal to make the League leader the next premier. The dramatic and rapid unraveling of Draghi's ‘’unity" coalition is likely to leave its mark on Italy's political landscape.

Italian Premier Mario Draghi's decision to turn in his resignation after his “unity” coalition broke apart dramatically in Parliament was the latest step in a political crisis that could take months before a new government is solidly in place to lead the European Union's third-largest economy.

APTOPIX Italy Politics Italian Premier Mario Draghi waves to lawmakers at the end of his address at the Parliament in Rome, Thursday, July 21, 2022. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini) (Andrew Medichini)ROME — (AP) — Italy’s president said Thursday he has dissolved Parliament after Premier Mario Draghi’s coalition fell apart. While the next steps were unclear, Mattarella seemed likely to dissolve Parliament after a period of consultations, paving the way for an election as soon as late September or early October. The announcement cited the article in the Italian Constitution that says the president can dissolve Parliament. After 5-Star senators boycotted last week's vote, Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio accused Conte of giving Putin a gift.

APTOPIX Financial Markets Wall Street Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Friday, July 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) (Seth Wenig)NEW YORK — (AP) — Wall Street pointed toward a modestly lower open Thursday and oil prices tumbled again ahead of another batch of corporate earnings. “After the strong showing in Wall Street over the past two days, particularly so for tech stocks, markets may take somewhat of a breather," Yeap Jun Rong, market strategist at IG in Singapore, said in a commentary. On Wednesday, United Airlines reported profit of $329 million, falling short of Wall Street expectations. On Wednesday, Wall Street ended with gains as investors welcomed encouraging profit reports from U.S. companies.

The European Central Bank on Thursday increased interest rates for the first time in 11 years in an attempt to cool rampant inflation in the euro zone.

The former central banker’s government has collapsed, but he’ll remain a force to be reckoned with.

Draghi's government of national unity collapsed Wednesday after members of his uneasy coalition of right, left and populists rebuffed his appeal to band back together.

The European Central Bank has raised interest rates for the first time in 11 years by a larger-than-expected amount.

Asian shares mostly slipped Thursday, as optimism was tempered by persistent concerns about inflation and the Chinese economy, despite the rally on Wall Street. On Wall Street, the future for the S&P 500 slipped 0.2% lower while that for the Dow industrials was down 0.3%. Imports for the six months shrank nearly 38% to 53.86 trillion yen ($390 billion), while exports grew 15% to 45.94 trillion yen ($332 billion). “After the strong showing in Wall Street over the past two days, particularly so for tech stocks, markets may take somewhat of a breather. On Wednesday, Wall Street ended with gains as investors welcomed another batch of encouraging profit reports from U.S. companies.

APTOPIX Italy Politics Italian Premier Mario Draghi attends a debate at the Senate in Rome, Wednesday, July 20, 2022. Draghi tendered his resignation to President Sergio Mattarella during a morning meeting at the Quirinale Palace. Draghi told Parliament's lower chamber on Thursday that he was heading to see President Sergio Mattarella, suggesting his resignation was imminent. Among his options, Mattarella could ask Draghi to stay on in a caretaker role until an early election. Opinion polls have indicated neck-to-neck percentages for the center-left Democratic Party and the right-wing Brothers of Italy party, which had remained in the opposition to Draghi’s coalition.

Italy Politics Italian Premier Mario Draghi, background center, delivers his speech at the Parliament in Rome, Thursday, July 21, 2022. Italian Premier Mario Draghi has won a confidence vote in the Senate, but boycotts by three of his key coalition allies in the voting seem likely to have doomed the government's prospects of survival. Draghi told Parliament's lower chamber on Thursday that he was heading to see President Sergio Mattarella, suggesting his resignation was imminent. Among his options, Mattarella could ask Draghi to stay on in a caretaker role until an early election. Opinion polls have indicated neck-to-neck percentages for the center-left Democratic Party and the right-wing Brothers of Italy party, which had remained in the opposition to Draghi’s coalition.

Italy is headed for an early election after its president accepted Premier Mario Draghi’s resignation and decided there was no possibility for cobbling together another government.

Italy's Prime Minister Mario Draghi is expected to tell the country's president Thursday that he will resign, opening a new chapter of political uncertainty.

Asian shares are mostly higher after another day of gains on Wall Street amid a deluge of news about the economy, interest rates and corporate profits.

Italy's political turmoil is making life harder for the European Central Bank as it hikes interest rates and raising bad memories of the eurozone debt crisis a decade ago.

Italian Premier Mario Draghi has won a confidence vote in the Senate, but boycotts by three of his key coalition allies in the voting have virtually doomed his unity government’s prospects of survival.

Italy has had dozens of governments since the end of World War II.

France and the United Arab Emirates have signed an agreement on energy cooperation to ensure oil and gas supplies from the Gulf country.

European leaders have ramped up their push to secure alternative energy supplies as fears escalate of a complete natural gas cutoff by Russia.

Italy is entering five days of political and financial uncertainty after the 5-Star Movement sparked a government crisis by withholding support on a government-sponsored bill.

Italy's president has rebuffed Premier Mario Draghi's offer to resign after a key ally refused to back the government in a Senate vote.

Premier Mario Draghi says his government is still able to get things done despite tensions with the 5-Star Movement.

Italy's Premier Mario Draghi is meeting with Italy’s president to discuss the future of his government amid simmering tensions with a coalition member, the 5-Star Movement.

Rescuers are finding body parts and equipment as they search for hikers missing following a powerful avalanche in the Italian Dolomites.

A French TV documentary offers a unique behind-the-scene look before and after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, from the point of view of France’s diplomatic efforts around the war.

Italian officials in an Alpine resort town say 13 people are still unaccounted for and seven hikers were killed a day earlier by an avalanche of ice and stone unleashed when a massive piece of glacier broke off on a mountaintop.

Leaders of the world’s wealthiest democracies have struck a united stance to support Ukraine for “as long as it takes” as Russia’s invasion grinds on.

Leaders of the world's biggest developed economies are looking for ways to cut off Russian President Vladimir Putin's oil money, which is helping finance the war against Ukraine.

In 1975, leaders of the world’s wealthy democracies gathered outside Paris to deal with an energy crisis sparked by a war and rampant inflation.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has underscored the urgency of helping his country’s military improve its position against Russia during a video meeting with leading economic powers.

About 4,000 protesters have gathered in Munich as the Group of Seven leading economic powers are set to hold their annual gathering in the Germany's Bavarian Alps.

Italy’s political landscape has shifted after Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio formalized his departure from the 5-Star Movement.

Russia has reduced natural gas to Europe again as countries have worked to ease their dependence on Russian supplies amid the war in Ukraine.

The European Union's executive arm is preparing its recommendation on Ukraine’s request to join the EU.

Before meeting Ukraine's president, three European leaders took a tour of the devastation wrought by Russia.

Four European leaders expressed support for Ukraine while meeting in Kyiv with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, vowing to back the country’s candidacy to eventually join the European Union and offering more weapons to fend off Russia’s invasion.