Pleas pile up in Italy for PM Draghi to rethink exit

ROME (AP) — Pleas are piling up in Italy to persuade Premier Mario Draghi to stay in office instead of resigning as he tried to do last week after being let down by a major coalition partner. Hundreds of mayors have written to Draghi in hopes he’ll change his mind. Union leaders and industrialists, who often have opposing agendas, are united in wanting Draghi — the former European Central Bank chief — to keep on governing. Italy and other European nations are facing soaring energy costs, steep inflation, surging COVID-19 cases and the war in Ukraine. By Sunday, at least 80,000 citizens have signed a “Draghi stay” petition, launched by former Premier Matteo Renzi. But Draghi has been keeping mum.