5-Star Movement (M5S) leader Luigi
Di Maio said Tuesday that League leader Matteo Salvini has
"condemned himself to irrelevance" for refusing to meet the
anti-establishment group's demand that he drop his centre-right
alliance partners to make a government-formation agreement
possible.
Di Maio said that option of the M5S ruling with the whole
centre right, including Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia, was a
path that could not be taken, after consultations with Lower
House Speaker Roberto Fico, who has been given a mandate from
the president to see if a M5S-PD government is possible.
He said the M5S was ready to open government-formation talks
with the Democratic Party (PD) despite "profound differences"
with the centre-left group.
The M5S has frequently vilified the PD, which has led the
last three Italian governments but had said it would be in the
opposition after registering its worst-ever showing in last
month's inconclusive general election.
Di Maio said it was necessary to "put the national interest
at the centre" of talks and focus on issues.
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