The anti-migrant Euroskeptic League
and the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) said after
fresh government-formation consultations with President Sergio
Mattarella Monday that they needed more time to put the final
touches to a German-style government contract and to agree on a
prospective premier to propose to the president.
Mattarella granted them the time they need.
Anti-migrant Euroskeptic League leader Matteo Salvini said
after speaking to Mattarella Monday that the government with the
M5S would start if it is able to achieve things, otherwise it
will not start, and so it would work to hopefully lift EU fiscal
restrictions on policy making.
He also said he wanted a free hand on migrants, where the
League's positions were tougher than the M5S's.
Salvini told reports that the possible new administration
will "start if it can do things".
He said "if we realised that were not the case then we would
stop".
Salvini said "I want children not to have roofs falling on
their heads," referring to a roof collapse at a school Monday.
"I want firms to pay fewer taxes and today I have external
limits that don't allow me to, either we rediscuss the (EU)
restrictions or it's the book of dreams".
Salvini said "if I go into government I want to do what I
promised to do on what Italians vote for me to do, on the
Fornero (pension law), avoiding the VAT hike, reducing duties on
petrol, on immigration on which the League and the M5S start
from a notable distance: with respect for human rights and the
treaties, I refuse to think of the umpteenth summer and autumn
of the business of clandestine immigration in profit.
"If we go into government we want a free hand to safeguard
Italians' security, also via a law on legitimate self-defence,"
he said.
The rightwing populist leader said if he heeded opinion polls
that showed the League rising it would be in his party's
interests to return to the vote after the inconclusive March 4
general election, but he would do his all to give Italy a
government respecting voters' wishes.
He said he and M5S leader Luigi Di Maio "are not talking
about names (for premier) but discussing more constructively and
even in an animated fashion about the idea of Italy".
The League, like its prospective government partner M5S,
wants to consult its voters on the government contract between
the two and will set up gazebos around the country next weekend
for voters to vote yes or no, sources said Monday.
Earlier, Di Maio said after meeting Mattarella that
neither he nor prospective Salvini would put forward premiership
names yet and also asked for a few more days to complete a
government programme.
It will be Mattarella who will decide how many more days are
needed, he said.
Asked about the perceived delay, Di Maio stressed that "these
are just the first consultations we have made" after agreeing to
seek a government deal with the League.
Di Maio said both he and Salvini "agree on the fact that we
won't publicly name names".
He said that the M5S delegation had asked Mattarella for "a
few more days" to complete the government programme in a
"German-style" contract with the rightwing populist League.
Saying that "we updated the president on how the various
talks between the M5S and the League are advancing on the
government contract", Di Maio added that the contract will
include "(abolishing) the Fornero (pension) law, the fight
against waste, the fight against corruption, and jail for those
who evade taxes".
He stressed that a few more days were needed because the M5S
is aware it is drafting a contract for a "five-year government
programme".
The contract, Di Maio said, will be put to an online vote by
M5S members "which will be called to decide whether to let this
government start with this contract or not".
He said that "the government accord is the heart of this
government of change we intend to get started as soon as
possible".
Mattarella does not intend to prevent the birth of a
political government that finally will get the legislative term
started and has thus noted the League and 5-Star Movement's
request for a few more days to set up the government, sources
said Monday evening.
The two parties will tell the president when they are ready,
the sources said.
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