This week, former European Central Bank Chief Mario Draghi was sworn in as the country’s prime minister and the head of a unity government and put an end to weeks of political turmoil. His cabinet is the third administration that Italy sees in less than three years. But how stable will this government be? What are the first challenges Draghi will face in his country and in Brussels? Will he be able to stand on equal footing with Macron and Merkel? Host Mark Leonard talks to Lia Quartapelle, Italian parliamentarian of Partito Democratico, Alessandro Speciale, Bloomberg Italia director, and head of ECFR’s Rome office Arturo Varvelli about what the Draghi government will mean for Italy and Europe. This podcast was recorded on 17 February 2021. Bookshelf: • “Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World” by Laura Spinney • “The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories” by Susanna Clarke • “Passé, présent et futur de Mario Draghi : la carrière politique d’un technician” by Alessandro Aresu & Andrea Garnero in Le Grand Continent • “Mario Draghi l'artefice” by Jana Randow & Alessandro Speciale