(ANSA) - Rome, July 18 - There will be no government crisis
amid tensions with League leader Matteo Salvini over the new
European Commission chief and an alleged conversation in a
Moscow hotel in which a League associate allegedly discussed
skimming Russian oil profits to fund Salvini's party, his
government partner Luigi Di Maio said Thursday.
"There is no crisis and there will be none, the current
government is the only one possible," he said.
"If Salvini wants a crisis he should say so clearly," he
added.
Beyond the current Italian government "there are only
elections," Deputy Premier and League leader Salvini said
Thursday replying to questions on a possible government crisis.
Told that the 'window' for elections was closing, Salvini
said "the window is always open".
On the possibility of elections in the autumn, he said "it's
a question to ask others, Matteo Salvini does not decide.
"The interior ministry continues to work".
Di Maio, when asked about the League's no vote for Ursula von
der Leyen and his own 5-Star Movement's (M5S) yes vote for her
to head the EU executive, told Corriere della Sera that "the
League won the European elections and now it must demonstrate
something".
As for the League-Russia case, Di Maio reiterated that
Salvini should report to parliament on it.
He said that if he suspected the League over the Russia
funding allegations, the government would fall.
"If I had the slightest suspicion that the League took money
from Russia I wouldn't be in government with them," he told
Unomattina.
Di Maio reiterated "the issue is that if the parliament asks
for a hearing then it's right for (Salvini) to go to
parliament".
The M5S chief, who is also deputy premier, industry and
labour minister, reiterated that he wanted "nothing to do" with
the centre-left opposition Democratic Party (PD) and was not "in
the slightest" thinking of a possible alternative government
with the PD.
In other remarks, he said the League risked isolating Italy
in the European union like Greece was.
He further said Salvini's party had reneged on a deal to vote
for von der Leyen in exchange for a European commissioner post
for Rome.
Di Maio said that, by accusing the M5S of betraying the
alliance by voting for the German Christian Democrat former
defence minister, the League was "lying".
Salvini said earlier he was fed up of getting negative
answers from the M5S.
"If I get another three nos, on justice, autonomy and the
budget, then everything changes," he told Corriere della Sera
and La Repubblica dailies.
Salvini said he would brief parliament on the alleged Russian
funding for the League, reiterating his strong denial, and said
he did not understand "what (Premier Giuseppe) Conte has to
report on Russia" after the premier said he would report to the
Senate on the case on July 24.
Salvini also said that it was "extremely serious" that the
M5S and the PD had been allegedly "together for two days, for
now just in Europe".
No govt crisis says Di Maio
But executive wd fall if I suspected League took Russian money