League leader Matteo Salvini said
Friday that there were no rifts within the centre-right
coalition ahead of consultations with President Sergio
Mattarella on the formation of a new government.
"There is total agreement with (Silvio Berlusconi's) Forza
Italia and harmony on programme and intentions," Salvini said in
a statement.
The combined centre-right alliance came first in this month's
general election with around 37% of the vote and Salvini's
Euroskeptic, anti-migrant League is the top party within the
coalition.
The bloc came up short, however, of winning a majority in
parliament.
Earlier this week Salvini suggested he was open to talking to
the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S), the biggest single
party in the new parliament with over 32% of the vote, on
forming a new government but Berlusconi poured cold water on the
idea.
"As the leader of the centre right I speak and act in the
name of all the allies," Salvini said.
"We are working with them on a government team and programme,
while I see that elsewhere it is not the same.
"The (centre-left Democratic Party) PD argue among themselves
and the M5S don't know what they want to do.
"We continue on our road. We want to make parliament
operative as soon as possible.
"We await Mattarella's call up".
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