Spread up to 170 on Di Maio quit fears

(ANSA) - Milan, January 22 - The spread between Italian and German 10-year bond yields, a gauge of investor confidence in Italy, surged seven points to 170 Wednesday on fears that the rumoured imminent resignation of Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio as 5-Star (M5S) leader may have a knock-on effect on the government.
    The yield on the BTP rose to 1.44%, from 1.36% at Tuesday's close, amid mounting rumours Di Maio may quit as M5S leader after a stream of defections from the party and poor local-election results.
    Pressure has built on the M5S leader after the loss of 18 MPs in the last few weeks, and 31 since the current parliament was voted in in 2018.
    Several dailies including Corriere della Sera, La Repubblica and La Stampa said Wednesday that Di Maio is on the verge of resigning.
    They said he felt he was no longer able to cope with the combined pressure of his government duties and the day-to-day running of the M5S.
    Premier Giuseppe Conte said Wednesday he would "respect" Di Maio's decision if he were to quit the M5S leadership.
    "If it were his decision I would respect him," he said, "even though it will be sad on the personal level".
    Conte said pressure had been put on Di Maio.
    "Di Maio has been pulled by the jacket, so lets's wait for him to take an initiative," he told Italian radio.
    M5S founder, the stand-up comic Beppe Grillo, has so far stood by Di Maio after a string of disappointing local election results.
    The party's poll ratings have dropped to less than a half the 33% it won at the 2018 general election, to about 15-16%.
    But its score fell below even that at last year's Umbria regional elections, and it is expected to poll badly in Emilia Romagna and Calabria on Sunday.