Premier Giuseppe Conte's government appeared to be moving towards a formal crisis on Thursday when Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini's League party openly talked of the possibility of a snap election.
Conte's League/5-Star Movement (M5S) coalition government is in turmoil after the ruling majority split dramatically on Wednesday in votes in parliament about the controversial TAV Turin-Lyon high-speed rail-link project. The Senate voted against a motion presented by the M5S seeking to stop the TAV with 181 votes against, including those of League lawmakers, and 110 in favour. Several motions in favour of the project presented by opposition parties were approved by similar margins. The TAV is just one of several issues that has caused tension between the M5S and League recently.
"Italy needs certainty and courageous choices," the League said in a statement.
"It's no good continuing with noes, postponements, blocks and rows every day.
"Every day that passes is a day that is lost.
"As far as we are concerned, the only alternative to this government is giving the word back to the Italian people with new elections". The League seemed to suggest that the coalition was irreparably compromised. "There is awareness and recognition that, after many good things that were done, the League and the 5-Star Movement for too long have had visions that are different on the fundamental issues for the country, such as major public works, infrastructure, economic development, the fiscal shock, the application of regional autonomy, justice reform and relations with Europe," the League said.
"Yesterday's vote on the TAV was just the last, clear, irreparable certification of this". Conte had a hour-long meeting with President Sergio Mattarella to update the head of State about the political situation on Thursday but there was no talk of the opening of a formal government crisis nor of the premier resigning, sources said. There had been reports Conte's executive could continue after a cabinet reshuffle in which some M5S ministers that the League is unhappy with are sacked. But League sources said Salvini was not interested in a reshuffle.
Deputy Premier and Labour and Industry Minister Luigi Di Maio said earlier in the day that he was fed up of power games. "I have never liked the games of the palaces (of power) and I'm starting to get fed up of this debate about positions," M5S leader Di Maio said on Facebook. "We took the helm of government not to ask for things (for ourselves), but to cut them. "We put that in black and white in the contract (of government), together with the League". Salvini has also threatened to pull the plug on the executive if the 2020 budget law does not feature big tax cuts.
Early elections could be in his interest as the League is by far the best-supported party in Italy at the moment, according to the opinion polls.
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