Step forward, differences remain - PD (3)

(ANSA) - Rome, April 26 - Caretaker Democratic Party (PD) leader Maurizio Martina said Thursday that the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) had made an important step forward but closing off the option of forming a government with the anti-migrant, Euroskeptic League. But Martina also stressed that "at the same time, we do not hide the differences between us".
    He was speaking after a second meeting with Lower House Speaker Roberto Fico as part of the latter's exploratory mandate to try to break Italy's post-election political deadlock.
    Fico will meet a delegation from the M5S, his own party, later on Thursday as part of his mandate to see if a M5S-PD government is possible and then report back to President Sergio Mattarella. Last week Senate Speaker Maria Elisabetta Casellati failed to make a breakthrough with a similar exploratory mandate to Fico's.
    Casellati's mandate involved verifying the possibility of forming a government made up of the centre right, the coalition that came first in last month's inconclusive general election, and the M5S, the biggest single party in the new parliament. The PD, which led the last three Italian governments, had pledged to stay in opposition after registering its worst-ever showing in last-month's inconclusive general election. But Martina opened up to possible dialogue after the first round of talks with Figo on Tuesday, saying he considered it a "development" that M5S chief Luigi Di Maio has closed off the option of forming a government with the rightwing, Euroskeptic League, the lead party in the centre right. Many within the PD, including ex-premier and former leader Matteo Renzi and a large section of grassroots members, are against negotiating with the M5S, which has frequently vilified the centre-left group. Martina said Thursday that the centre-left group will hold a meeting of its national directorate on May 3 to decide whether and how to take part in government-formation talks with the M5S.