Draghi accepts the formation of the new Italian government

Italian President Sergio Mattarella has asked former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi to form a government to address the coronavirus pandemic crisis and the deep economic recession hitting Italy due to the pandemic. "This is a difficult time, conquering the epidemic, completing the vaccination campaign, providing answers to the daily problems of the people and relaunching the country are the challenges we face," Draghi said, adding, "We have exceptional resources from the European Union at our disposal and we have the opportunity to do a lot for our country." The Italian president warned that the new government must take power immediately to prevent Italy from losing more than 200 billion euros from the European Union fund designed to help overcome the economic slump caused by the epidemic.