The anti-establishment 5-Star
Movement (M5S) and the centre-left Democratic Party (PD) on
Friday started talks on possibly forming a coalition government
replacing the M5S's alliance with the nationalist League which
League leader Matteo Salvini sank earlier this month.
President Sergio Mattarella has given the former fierce foes
until Wednesday to try to put together a new government to last
until the end of the legislative term in 2023.
M5S leader Luigi Di Maio laid down 10 conditions for the
government including a conflict of interest law, reform of State
broadcaster RAI, cutting the tax wedge, a minimum wage, justice
reform, green policies and, crucially, a reduction in the number
of MPs and Senators from 945 to 600, not counting five life
Senators.
PD leader Nicola Zingaretti set five conditions including a
change from Salvini's tough anti-migrant stance and his
closed-ports policy for NGO migrant rescue ships. The PD was
initially reported to be against cutting the number of MPs but
is now said to be coming round to the idea, as part of a wider
electoral reform restoring 100% proportional representation.
As part of any deal, the two parties would also have to come
up with a proposed premier and there is speculation Italy might
get its first woman premier in former justice minister Paola
Severino, or Constitutional Court Vice President Marta Cartabia.
However, there is still a slim chance of the M5S reviving its
alliance with the League if Di Maio accepts Salvini's offer of
the M5S leader becoming premier in a restored M5S-League
alliance.
Mattarella will hold fresh consultations on resolving the
government crisis starting Tuesday with officials and the small
parties and ending Wednesday with the PD, League and M5S.
He has asked for a "solid and lasting" coalition to serve out
the term to 2023, saying that early elections, probably on
October 27, are the only alternative.
The new government will have to pass the 2021 budget law and
avert a 23-billion-euro VAT hike.
The two delegations started talking at two o'clock in the
afternoon.
Amid reports of PD infighting, Di Maio said the centre-left
group was already quarrelling" even before the talks had
started.
"These people are already quarrelling, we knew them quite
well, unfortunately..let them get their ideas straight", "he
said, reiterating that cutting MPs from 945 to 600 was "the
start of any talks, it must be done at once.
"If you don't have the first point there's nothing else," he
said.
The M5S leader was speaking after former PD leader and
ex-premier Matteo Renzi accused former premier and now PD Chair
Paolo Gentiloni of wanting to sink the M5S-PD bid by setting the
condition that the M5S would have to give up on the MP cut.
That alleged attempt by Gentiloni has failed, Renzi said.
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