Deputy Premier and Labour and
Industry Luigi Di Maio on Monday called on his 5-Star Movement
to stay united, saying Italy's future depended on it.
"We are under attack. It's true," Di Maio said.
"But we are sitting on the right side of history and, if we
advance united together, the victory in this battle will be
ours.
"But we have to be united. Very united".
The M5S has come under fire, including from within its own
ranks, after the government announced it would not halt the
construction of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) in Puglia.
The M5S had pledged to halt the project, citing the impact on
the local environment.
But the government has said it cannot be stopped because
penalties of many billions of euros would be incurred if it were
halted.
At the weekend protestors against the TAP project burned M5S
flags at San Foca di Melendugno.
Di Maio said Monday that the State would have to pay out
compensation of "over 20 billion" euros if the government
stopped the TAP.
"We battled against this project," the M5S leader added.
"If we had got into power in 2013, this project would not
have happened.
"But we got in in 2018, after the (centre-left Democratic
Party) PD and the previous governments reached international
accords and signed agreements with the TAP.
"Telling the citizens the truth does not mean we have changed
out minds on what we said in the election campaign.
"Those who came before put protection around this project,
which is not strategic and could have been avoided".
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