Prime mover? Mario Draghi and the Italian presidency
Economist Podcasts
The Economist
4.3 • 5K Ratings
🗓️ 24 January 2022
⏱️ 22 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This week’s secretive votes will determine the next president and the current prime minister looks to be a favourite. But that move would be bad for Italy. Many African countries that are rife with resources remain persistently underdeveloped; we dig into the reasons. And we meet the chefs bringing unsung Native American cuisine to the table.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello and welcome to the intelligence from The Economist. I'm your host, Jason Palmer. Every weekday, we provide a fresh perspective on the events shaping your world. |
| 0:17.3 | Striking oil or discovering diamonds should be a blessing for a country, but history suggests otherwise. |
| 0:24.2 | We look beyond basic economics to discover why so many resource-rich African countries remain persistently underdeveloped. |
| 0:32.2 | And for all the melting pot options among American restaurants, you won't find many Native American restaurants. |
| 0:39.1 | A new generation of chefs is changing that. On the menu, expect blue corn, bison, and, |
| 0:45.1 | when the licensing is figured out, beavers. But first... |
| 0:57.0 | Today, lawmakers in Italy are carrying out the first daily ballot to determine the country's next president. |
| 1:09.0 | Rumors abound that the frontrunner is Mario Draghi, currently Italy's prime minister and a pretty successful one. |
| 1:15.6 | He's overseen a stellar vaccine rollout and serious reforms that have sparked much-needed investment. |
| 1:21.6 | Mr. Draghi's steady hand has had a calming influence on a famously fractious political landscape, |
| 1:28.3 | but his potential move into a very different role might change that. |
| 1:32.3 | Mario Daghi is a former president of the European Central Bank, |
| 1:37.3 | where he earned the title of Super Mario because of his perceived role in the rescue of the Euro, the height of the |
| 1:50.0 | Euro crisis. |
| 1:52.0 | John Hooper is the Economist Italy and Vatican correspondent. |
| 1:56.0 | And that has given him an immense prestige, both in Europe and, of course, in his native Italy. |
| 2:04.6 | And next on his list of high-power jobs could be the presidency. What does that role involve? |
| 2:10.0 | The role of an Italian president can be very, very important. He, there's never been a |
| 2:16.7 | she, can dissolve parliament, can disprove parliament, very important. He, there's never been a she, can dissolve Parliament, can name the |
| 2:22.5 | Prime Minister, though the Prime Minister then has to win the confidence of Parliament. So, |
| 2:28.8 | the Italian President is not an entirely ceremonial officer, like, for example, the German head of state, but nor is he a French or American president. |
| 2:46.3 | And is it clear that this is a job that Mr. Draghi wants? |
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