Anti-migrant Euroskeptic League leader Matteo Salvini again clashed with anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) leader Luigi Di Maio on Wednesday as Italy's post-election political deadlock approached the two-month mark.
It is "irresponsible" to allegedly block the work of the Italian parliament, Salvini told Di Maio, after the latter shut off the option of starting government-formation talks with the League following its refusal to dump its centre-right coalition partners, including Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia.
"I don't respond to insults and foolishness on money and posts, for us loyalty and coherence are worth more than ministries," he said. "I want to give a government to the Italians, if the M5S prefer to quarrel we'll do it on our own. Blocking the start of the work of the parliamentary committees is irresponsible".
Di Maio said Salvini was relying on Berlusconi for posts and that Italy should return to the polls "immediately". Di Maio said "no government of change is possible with Berlusconi and the centre right. "Salvini has changed his mind and is bowing to him only for posts. Let's get back to the polls now!", Di Maio tweeted.
He also suggested League's "financial troubles" were behind its failure to back the anti-establishment group's call for an snap election. "There is no alternative to an immediate new vote," Di Maio said on the M5S's blog. "We don't have any problem with this because citizens support us with small donations. "Others, on the other hand, are opposed because maybe they have some money problems, with loans and bank guarantees. "But Italy cannot be blocked by the financial troubles of one party".
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