Rightwing populist League leader
Matteo Salvini said Friday Italy should either get a "political"
government or return to the polls with a new bonus-laden
electoral law to ensure a majority after Sunday's inconclusive
vote.
"Either there's a government or the word returns to the
Italians", he said in Milan.
"I would make tomorrow morning an election law that gives a
bonus to the coalition or party that gets the most votes," he
said.
"I don't believe in technical, short-term governments to
implement one or two reforms, which risk being at the service of
Brussels".
Salvini said he hoped the centre-left Democratic Party (PD)
was willing to support a centre-right government to help Italy
emerge from its post-election stalemate.
"The PD after (outgoing leader Matteo) Renzi? I hope they're
willing to give the country a way out, no matter who emerges
from the (PD) primaries," said Salvini in Milan.
Asked about PD support for a centre-right government, he said
"if everyone says the focus is on jobs, our programme has
concrete and achievable proposals on that".
The League emerged as one of the two winners from Sunday's
vote while the PD's vote dropped dramatically.
Salvini's anti-migrant, Euroskeptic force became top dog on
the centre right ahead of Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right Forza
Italia and earned Salvini a spot as the coalition's premier
candidate.
The League scored 18%, compared to the PD's 19%, while the
anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) was the top party with
32%.
However, the centre-right coalition now headed by Salvini got
37% of the vote, short of the 40% needed for a working majority.
Both the League and the M5S have been sending overtures to
the PD but the party is overwhelmingly behind Renzi's vow not to
cooperate.
Renzi resigned after the party's worst ever showing but the
resignation will become effective only after a government is
formed, he said.
The PD on Friday reiterated it will not jon a League-led
administration.
The League should try to govern Italy with "those who have
its programme", PD House whip Ettore Rosato said in rejecting
Salvini's overture.
"Everyone must have a sense of responsibility and our
response to (President Sergio) Mattarella's call is a given but
the first ones to be called to responsibility are those who got
a mandate from voters and won the elections," he said.
"The League should not hide behind pretexts and should build
the conditions for government with those who have its same
programmes and tones," Rosato said of the anti-migrant,
Euroskeptic force which has vowed to deport hundreds of
thousands of migrants and breach EU financial parameters if need
be.
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