'Political' govt or fresh elections says Salvini (2)

(ANSA) - Milan, March 9 - Rightwing populist League leader Matteo Salvini said Friday Italy should either get a "political" government or return to the polls with a new bonus-laden electoral law to ensure a majority after Sunday's inconclusive vote. "Either there's a government or the word returns to the Italians", he said in Milan.
    "I would make tomorrow morning an election law that gives a bonus to the coalition or party that gets the most votes," he said.
    "I don't believe in technical, short-term governments to implement one or two reforms, which risk being at the service of Brussels".
    Salvini said he hoped the centre-left Democratic Party (PD) was willing to support a centre-right government to help Italy emerge from its post-election stalemate. "The PD after (outgoing leader Matteo) Renzi? I hope they're willing to give the country a way out, no matter who emerges from the (PD) primaries," said Salvini in Milan.
    Asked about PD support for a centre-right government, he said "if everyone says the focus is on jobs, our programme has concrete and achievable proposals on that".
    The League emerged as one of the two winners from Sunday's vote while the PD's vote dropped dramatically.
    Salvini's anti-migrant, Euroskeptic force became top dog on the centre right ahead of Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right Forza Italia and earned Salvini a spot as the coalition's premier candidate.
    The League scored 18%, compared to the PD's 19%, while the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) was the top party with 32%.
    However, the centre-right coalition now headed by Salvini got 37% of the vote, short of the 40% needed for a working majority.
    Both the League and the M5S have been sending overtures to the PD but the party is overwhelmingly behind Renzi's vow not to cooperate.
    Renzi resigned after the party's worst ever showing but the resignation will become effective only after a government is formed, he said.
    The PD on Friday reiterated it will not jon a League-led administration.
    The League should try to govern Italy with "those who have its programme", PD House whip Ettore Rosato said in rejecting Salvini's overture. "Everyone must have a sense of responsibility and our response to (President Sergio) Mattarella's call is a given but the first ones to be called to responsibility are those who got a mandate from voters and won the elections," he said. "The League should not hide behind pretexts and should build the conditions for government with those who have its same programmes and tones," Rosato said of the anti-migrant, Euroskeptic force which has vowed to deport hundreds of thousands of migrants and breach EU financial parameters if need be.