File photo

ROME, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Italian President Sergio Mattarella said Tuesday he will appoint a neutral, non-partisan figure to form a government to steer the country through the coronavirus pandemic, after exploratory talks to recompose the previous government failed.

"I will soon confer a mandate to form a government that can face the serious emergencies (Italy faces) in a timely way," Mattarella said. "I call on all forces in parliament to give their confidence to a high-profile and non-partisan government."

Mattarella has reportedly summoned former European Central Bank (ECB) chief Mario Draghi to a meeting on Wednesday, according to the RAI public broadcaster. This means he may task Draghi with being Italy's next prime minister.

The president explained that Italy can't afford snap elections right now because it needs a fully functioning government that can fight the pandemic and also submit a national Recovery Plan to the European Union (EU) by April.

He also explained that political campaigns bring crowds together, and this would likely cause the virus to spread even more.

"In the coming months, we can either defeat the virus or risk being overwhelmed by it," Mattarella said in a nationally televised statement.

His statement followed a brief statement by House Speaker Roberto Fico, who said talks between the members of the previous government had failed.

Mattarella on Jan. 29 gave Fico an exploratory mandate to verify whether the same governing majority that existed before Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte resigned on Jan. 26 is still workable.

The preceding government coalition consisted of the center-left Democratic Party, the Five Star Movement, and the centrist Italia Viva party led by Matteo Renzi, a former prime minister.

Renzi pulled his support from the government in late January in disagreement over its handling of the pandemic and of the multi-billion-euro EU funding for Italy, prompting a government crisis.