Mario Draghi Puts Italy at the Grown-Ups' Table
The ex-ECB chief faces enormous domestic problems, but he could help change Rome’s poor image among the other EU states.
Whatever it takes (again).
Photographer: FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFPMario Draghi’s appointment as prime minister of Italy has consequences that go way beyond his own country. The man who’s credited with saving the euro in 2012 has some very clear ideas about the future of the monetary union. As he returns to Europe’s top table, he has a chance to put them into practice.
The former European Central Bank chief’s return coincides with a moment of great instability in European politics. Angela Merkel, Germany’s chancellor and the dominant political figure on the continent for the past 15 years, steps down in September and no one seems to have the clout to replace her. France’s President Emmanuel Macron has a vision for greater European integration, but he’s had to rely on Germany to implement any of it.