(ANSA) - ROME, JAN 13 - President Sergio Mattarella on Wednesday stressed to Premier Giuseppe Conte the need to emerge rapidly from uncertainty amid the alarming situation due to the COVID pandemic during talks on an apparently looming government crisis, sources at the presidential palace said.
    They said Conte had talks on cabinet's approval of the COVID Recovery Plan and the state of relations within the ruling coalition, after ex-premier and centrist Italia Viva (IV) leader Matteo Renzi repeatedly threatened to pull IV out of the government over alleged flaws in the government's 222.9-billion-euro Recovery Plan.
    Political observers say Conte may resign, there may be a new Conte-led government or merely a reshuffle, or a snap election where the right-wing opposition is favoured.
    Renzi is set to address a press conference at 17:30 local (15:30 GMT) to announce his decision after IV's two ministers abstained in the approval of the Recovery Plan Tuesday night.
    Mattarella will be the arbiter of any government crisis. (ANSA).