One hot afternoon, some of Italy's most influential politicians gathered in the shade of a luxury villa in one of Rome's most exclusive neighborhoods, dined on swordfish and salad, and hatched a plan to topple Mario Draghi's government.
Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian billionaire and former prime minister who leads the center-right party Forza Italia, was the host in Villa "Grande" on Tuesday, July 19. Next to him was Matteo Salvini from the right-wing League, with representatives of other groups and collaborators.
Đorđa Meloni, the opposition leader who is now the favorite to become the new prime minister of Italy in the extraordinary elections to be held in the fall, also spoke with the conspirators over the phone the next day.
Within 24 hours, Dragi's fate was sealed. The conspirators withdrew support from his broad coalition and the prime minister had no choice but to go to the presidential palace, where he resigned on Thursday.
Italy now faces months of political instability. It is likely to take several weeks after the September 25 election before a new coalition is put together.
The Italian political crisis is also a problem for the European Union. The central bank is trying to prevent a recession while balancing the need to curb inflation with the risk of fueling a new debt crisis.
With the war raging in Ukraine and energy supplies running low, some in Italian politics are now wondering if the right-wingers really know what they've done.
For Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, the coalition parties "are playing with the future of the Italian people." The consequences of this tragic election will remain in our history," he said.
As the leader of the government of national unity, who was not elected in the elections and was recruited by the president to help the country during the pandemic last year, Dragi felt that he had no mandate to pander to political collusion. If he gives in to a package of demands for concessions from the right, it would be the beginning of a bargain that would never end.
The crisis for Dragi started Sunday earlier. After months of tensions within the coalition, the populist Five Star Movement refused to back him in a key confidence vote on a €26 billion aid package to ease the cost-of-living crisis.
Dragi responded by offering to resign, but President Sergio Mattarella asked him to try to win over critics. He agreed and scheduled a new vote of confidence in the parliament for July 20.
The day before that vote, Berlusconi called his allies to a meeting to discuss tactics over lunch.
Via Appia is one of Rome's most glamorous addresses, a historic street lined with monuments and catacombs that lead outside the capital to the far reaches of the ancient empire. Among the famous residents of that part of the city are movie stars Djina Lolobridjida and Valentino, a 90-year-old fashion designer.
Right there in his luxurious villa "Grande" - which he bought 20 years ago and then rented out to the late director Franco Zeffirelli - Berlusconi gathered his colleagues to talk.
Accompanied by his 32-year-old girlfriend, Marta Faskina, the 85-year-old billionaire welcomed the guests on the terrace and began negotiations.
According to Berlusconi, the purpose of the meeting was to discuss the "very worrying and inexcusable behavior of the Five Star Movement", which triggered the crisis last Sunday.
However, another agenda quickly gained momentum: the need to topple Draghi's coalition and call for early elections. One person who attended the meeting said that Salvini most openly insisted that the right should go to the elections.
However, Berlusconi was apparently of the same opinion, the person said. He had 20 pages of notes, following the 20-point election program. "It included plans for tax reform, the judiciary and pensions," the person said. "That meeting was the first step in the election campaign".
It was uncomfortably hot. Guests sat and sweated on the terrace, overlooking the gardens of aloe vera and Mediterranean pines.
The lunch ended with a serving of frozen yogurt - Berlusconi is clearly health conscious - with a side of frustration. The leaders of the right-wing parties were annoyed because Dragi rejected them that morning and decided to meet with the leader of the center-left Democratic Party, Enrico Leto.
They discussed the need to reform the social system, suppress illegal immigration, tax amnesty and investing in nuclear energy. It looked like a program for a new government.
After six hours, Berlusconi decided it was the right moment to call the Prime Minister himself. The right was clear about what it wanted - a radical change in the direction of Draghi's administration, without the Five Star Movement.
Berlusconi stayed at home while his colleague from Forza Italia Antonio Tajani and Salvini went to Draghi's residence for a confrontation at 7.45 in the evening. They demanded reform of the government and the government's agenda.
It didn't go well. When Salvini and Tajani left, it was clear to Dragi that the next day would be busy.
The right-wingers returned to Villa "Grande" and the talks continued until late at night.
Wednesday dawned and the key moment for Dragi arrived. People familiar with his way of thinking said that he simply could not agree to compromise.
As the leader of the government of national unity, who was not elected in the elections and was recruited by the president to help the country during the pandemic last year, Dragi felt that he had no mandate to pander to political collusion. If he gives in to a package of demands for concessions to the right, it would be the beginning of a bargain that would never be completed, he believed.
So an angry prime minister addressed parliament. Having refused to heed the demands of the right, Draghi was told that Forza Italia, the League and the Five Star Movement would not show up to support him in the crucial confidence vote he called for.
Berlusconi's allies returned to Villa "Grande" after Draghi's address. Meloni, the 45-year-old leader of the opposition party Brothers of Italy, spoke to Salvini on the phone on several occasions. He advocated that her colleagues leave Dragi's coalition and call for early elections.
Translation: N. Bogetić
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