President Sergio Mattarella is expected to give Senate Speaker Elisabetta Alberti Casellati an exploratory mandate to seek ways to end Italy's post-election political deadlock after calling her to his office on Wednesday.
Italy does not look close to having a new government a month and a half after its inconclusive election on March 4.
Last week Mattarella said the political parties had not made significant progress towards the formation of a new government after a second round of formal political consultations.
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