Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi has all but ruled out a second term despite the widespread view that this could help ease political tensions in the wake of Italy's extremely close general election.
In an informal interview published by Italian daily Corriere della Sera on Tuesday, the 85-year-old president said that "I'm convinced that seven years up here (in the president's palace) are already a lot.
"Doubling them would perhaps mean creating a type of Republican monarchy".
"Fortunately, age is on my side and in a certain sense rules out the possibility of a second mandate," Ciampi told Italy's biggest daily. He stressed that he would not be retiring from the political scene altogether since, like all former presidents, he would become a life senator.
"I will continue to follow the country's political and institutional developments... and make my contribution," said the popular president, whose seven-year mandate expires in May. Politicians of all stripes have urged Ciampi to consider a second term.
The calls have grown following the uncertain political climate created by Premier Silvio Berlusconi's refusal to admit defeat in Italy's April 9/10 election. Centre-left leader Romano Prodi won by some 25,000 votes but Berlusconi has refused to concede.
Italy's Supreme Court must deliver a final verdict on the vote outcome this week. Berlusconi's coalition has talked of vote rigging and accused Prodi of "extremism" and "irresponsibility" in claiming victory. The centre left, meanwhile, has accused the centre right of "delegitimising" the election results and an "undemocratic" refusal to accept defeat. Berlusconi has also argued that the country is split in two and that the only "responsible solution" would be a broad-based, German-style coalition, an idea that has been firmly rejected by the centre left.
Many political observers expressed hope that Ciampi, a former premier and Bank of Italy governor, would stay on to help steer Italy through the post-election battling. Since it is up to the president to officially nominate the new premier, Prodi had also hoped that Ciampi would give him a mandate to form a government before his term expires on May 18.
But Ciampi has made it clear that he wants his successor - who will be chosen by parliament in voting on May 12/13 - to appoint the new premier. When asked to comment on Ciampi's decision regarding a second term, Prodi said on Tuesday: "Out of my great respect for Ciampi, I have never wanted to put pressure on him. I believe Ciampi has reflected deeply on this matter and we'll see what happens in the near future".
Italian presidents are elected by parliament. A two thirds majority is needed, meaning that in practice a head of state cannot be chosen by the governing majority alone. But after a third indecisive ballot the absolute majority of votes is sufficient.
The presidential election will test the ability of the two rival coalitions to set aside their differences in the bid to find a candidate acceptable to both sides. If they fail, it will become a test for Prodi's multi-party coalition and its ability to agree on a candidate and then succeed in the voting with a wafer-thin majority.
Ciampi was elected president in 1999 on a first ballot in an unusual show of unity, receiving 707 votes out of a possible 990.
He was economy minister in Prodi's last centre-left government and his tough budget measures are often credited with steering Italy into the group of countries that launched the euro zone. His participation in the Senate could prove a boon to Prodi, who currently has a majority of just two seats in the upper chamber.
But some political observers speculated that Ciampi could still be prevailed upon to stay on if specifically requested to do so by parliament.
Valdo Spini, a top member of the opposition Democratic Left, said on Tuesday that "if the president says he doesn't want a second mandate, that doesn't mean he would ignore a call by the Italian parliament in the national interest". Former president Francesco Cossiga also weighed into the debate, saying that Ciampi should end the political limbo by appointing Prodi as soon as the Supreme Court officially pronounces on the election result or resigning early so that his successor could give Prodi a swift mandate to govern.
"I also hope that once the definitive announcement of the election results have convinced Berlusconi and his allies of Prodi's clean and legitimate victory, then the premier will help normalise the country's institutional and political life by resigning," Cossiga added.
