League leader Matteo Salvini said
Tuesday that parliament should vote to cut parliamentary numbers
next week and then move straight to a snap election to be held
in the autumn.
Salvini, who pulled the plug on a 14-month alliance with the
5-Star Movement (M5S) last week, said ahead of a Senate vote on
tabling the League's no confidence vote in Premier Giuseppe
Conte that "Italy wants to have certainties and what is more
beautiful, democratic, transparent, linear, dignified than
giving the word to the people.
"What is more beautiful. I don't understand the fear, the
terror, the desperation," he said amid protests from the
centre-left opposition Democratic Party (PD).
Salvini said parliament should first vote to cut 345 MPs and
Senators and then Italy should go to the polls "immediately".
The League leader said the MP cut should be voted on next
week and then an election should be called, spelling elections
this autumn.
"Elections immediately for dignity, honesty and coherence,"
he said.
He said former PD leader and ex-premier Matteo Renzi was
afraid of a snap vote "because of the disasters he made" while
premier.
Salvini accused those who wanted to extend the legislative
term by a deal between the PD and his former ally the M5S, and
not call a snap election, of being antidemocratic and fascist, a
charge frequently levelled at the League.
He said the M5S should "think three times before allying with
the PD".
"We go with out heads held high to ask Italians for the
chance to take this county by the hand for the next five years
and we are not afraid of leaving our seats," he said.
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