This is the Guardian.

Today is Italy about to have its first far-right leader since Mussolini.

With his government in turmoil, a couple of weeks ago, Italy's then-prime minister,

Mario Draghi, attended a dinner with journalists.

Including the Guardian's Rome correspondent, Angela Jafrieda.

Having met him in person that night, I would say that he came across as a very humble person,

also a very serious person, somebody very principled who sticks to his word,

and despite knowing that his government was on the verge of collapse and facing huge, huge

challenges, and with the energy crisis, potential, another wave of COVID coming on,

the warring and Ukraine and the implications of that in Italy.

So all these problems on his mind, but he still took time out to come and have dinner with

a bunch of journalists. I think that showed a lot about his personality.

Draghi was popular with the Italian public. Leaders across Europe saw him as

serious and credible, a safe pair of hands who could steer Italy's recovery from COVID through

to elections next year. But last week, he announced his coalition had collapsed in a manoeuvre by far

right parties to sink the government, bring forward elections, and try to snatch their best chance

of coming to power since the Second World War. From the Guardian, a Michael Safi. Today in focus,

the fall of Mario Draghi and the far right forces seeking to replace him.

Angela Jafreda, your the Guardian's Rome correspondent. And I'd like you to start by telling me about

what it's been like to cover Italian politics over the past few years.

Well, covering Italian politics over the last few years, I would describe as being an absolute

rollercoaster. We've had free government collapses in three years. We've gone from having a far

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