Can Italy’s Draghi Keep Up His Winning Streak?

During his first six months in office, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has notched several key accomplishments. In June, he secured the European Union’s approval for Italy’s COVID-19 rescue package, totaling 191.5 billion euros, or roughly $224 billion, giving it the largest share of the bloc’s 750-billion-euro pandemic recovery fund. Then, in late July, Draghi’s Cabinet signed off on a contentious overhaul of the Italian justice system, a goal that had eluded many previous governments. However, as local elections approach and Italy enters the so-called the “semestre bianco”—the white semester – a new political phase is opening in Rome, one that could cause some more headaches to the Prime Minister than in recent months.