There should be another general
election if the one early next year produces an inconclusive
result, ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi said Wednesday.
He said the Gentiloni government should stay in power and
"allow an election campaign that won't be very short, at least
three months, that can allow the parties to set out their
platforms to the voters".
The next general election is expected in March or May.
Current polls say there will not be an outright winner.
The centre-right coalition led by Berlusconi and featuring
his centre-right Forza Italia party, the anti-euro, anti-migrant
League and the small nationalists Brothers of Italy party is
ahead in the polls over the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement
(M5S), which is second on its own, and the ruling centre-left
Democratic Party (PD), which is third.
The conservative coalition has around 32-33% of popular
support, most polls show, while the M5S is on about 27-28% and
the PD has fallen to about 24%.
But PD leader and ex-premier Matteo Renzi has pledged that
the PD will be the biggest party after the election.
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