Giuseppe Conte
ROME : Italian President Sergio Mattarella begins two days of talks with parties on Wednesday to seek a way out of a political crisis that will lead to formation of the country’s 67th government since World War Two or early elections.
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte resigned on Tuesday after launching a blistering attack on his own interior minister, Matteo Salvini, accusing him of sinking the coalition and endangering the economy for personal and political gain.
In a shock move on Aug. 8, Salvini, leader of the far-right League party, declared that his alliance with the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement was dead and called for elections.
Salvini had repeatedly promised the 14-month old government would last a full five-year term and appeared confident his move would trigger early elections, allowing him to cash in on the League’s surging popularity.
But the gambit could backfire and open the door to power for his rivals.
Politicians from 5-Star and the centre-left Democratic Party (PD) are openly discussing forming a new coalition that would push the League into opposition and give Italy a more centrist, pro-European government.
Financial markets rallied on Conte’s resignation, seemingly hopeful that a 5-Star/PD coalition can be ushered in and snap polls avoided.
Mattarella will meet with all the parties in parliament, one after the other, to see if a new coalition can be formed. Failing that, he would have to dissolve parliament, 3-1/2 years ahead of schedule, to allow for autumn elections.
