Sergio Mattarella

Nova Gorica – Nova Gorica won the Golden Stone award for the biggest development breakthrough among Slovenia’s 212 municipalities at an online event that heard President Borut Pahor note the border city’s unique opportunity to link with its Italian counterpart into a single city.

Calling on former ECB chief Mario Draghi to form a coalition government may have been Italian President Sergio Mattarella's option of last resort, other than calling early elections. And Draghi, "the Italian who saved the euro," could just turn out to be "the European who saves Italy," as former prime minister Matteo Renzi, put it.

Former European bank chief Mario Draghi agreed on Feb. 3 to try to form a non-political government to steer Italy through the coronavirus pandemic after last-ditch negotiations among political parties failed to produce a viable governing coalition.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has officially stepped down in order to try to form a government with wider support, and the consultations with the parties with a view to finding a new parliamentary majority will start on Wednesday afternoon, according to the official statement from the presidential palace.

Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte resigned on Jan. 26 after a key coalition ally pulled his party's support over Conte's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, setting the stage for consultations this week to determine if he can form a third government.

Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte intends to offer his resignation on Jan. 26, his office said on Jan. 25, a move seen as gamble that the embattled leader will get a fresh mandate from the president to try to forge a more viable coalition.

Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte squeaked through a crucial Senate confidence vote on Jan. 19 night, allowing him to keep his wobbly coalition afloat but failing to secure the reliable support needed from lawmakers to help him effectively govern the country with its pandemic-pummeled economy.

The presidents of Italy and Montenegro ceremonially turned on an undersea power cable connecting the two countries via the Adriatic sea on Friday, making Montenegro a Balkan energy hub at the flick of a switch.

President Prokopis Pavlopoulos on Friday welcomed another 12 non-executive presidents from around Europe, including German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Irish President Michael Higgins, for an informal summit to discuss European unification and solidarity.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is on a visit to Italy. He will talk with the president and prime minister of the country and will be accepted by an audience from Pope Francis.

Local authorities and police closed roads and large areas in the center of Rome before Vladimir Putin's visit. The access of cars to the central part of the Italian capital is forbidden.