News analysis: Napolitano's departure creates new challenges for Italy's reform-minded Renzi

The resignation of Italian President Giorgio Napolitano throws up a new obstacle in the path for Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who must now temporarily put aside his reform-minded agenda in order to concentrate on the delicate task of finding Napolitano's successor, said experts.

Napolitano, who will turn 90 in June, made it clear when he signed on for a second term in 2013 that he did not plan to complete the term because of health issues related to his advanced age. Officially, Napolitano was appointed until 2020, when he would be 95 years old.

The 40-year-old Renzi lobbied for Napolitano to stay on board for at least a few more weeks or months, until he could push through his plans to downsize the Senate and along with new economic stimulus measures. But Napolitano demurred, making it clear Tuesday that his plans to resign Wednesday were not negotiable.

Napolitano's timing makes things difficult for Renzi, experts told Xinhua.

"I am sure there are other things Renzi would prefer to focus on right now," Oreste Massari, a political scientist with la Sapienza University in Rome, said in an interview. "But finding a replacement has to be a top priority."

According to Massari and others, Renzi must find a figure who will support him to the extend Napolitano did, while drawing support from diverse blocks in parliament including those within Renzi's own party who originally backed Renzi's in-party rival Pier Luigi Bersani and the bloc headed by controversial former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who is a tentative Renzi backer.

Ideally, the new president would also bring some of the same international gravitas Napolitano had - something especially important given the relatively inexperienced Renzi, who, before becoming prime minister 11 months ago had been major of Florence.

Approval of the new president requires a two-thirds majority in parliament.

"The real challenge is finding someone who meets these various qualifications and who can do the job," Franco Pavoncello, president of John Cabot University, said in an interview.

Pavoncello said the most likely candidate may be Romano Prodi, 75, a two-time prime minister who was also the tenth president of the European Commission. While Prodi is certainly well respected internationally, it is worth noting that he is also a bitter political rival to Berlusconi, who could act to block his approval.

Massari also pointed out that Napolitano's decision to reluctantly sign on for a second term two years ago was precipitated by Prodi's inability to garner enough support to take the president's job with essentially the same parliament still in power this time around.

Other potential candidates mentioned in the Italian press include another former prime minister, Giuliano Amato, current Minister of Finance Pier Carlo Padoan, former Rome mayor Walter Veltroni, and current Minister of Defense Roberta Pinotti.

"There are a lot of names mentioned in the press, but all of them have some weak points," Massari said. "It's an unpredictable situation."

One high-profile potential candidate made it clear Wednesday he is not interested in the job: former Bank of Italy governor and current head of the European Central Bank Mario Draghi. Draghi, who is one of the central figures trying to steer the European Union through the current financial crisis, said Wednesday he would not consider returning to Rome as president.

The post of president is a largely ceremonial position, but it takes on increased importance during periods of political instability, when the president helps shepherd the process that can result in new elections or forming a new government. Endit