New Premier Mario Draghi is already facing problems linked to rows between the broad range of parties supporting his government as he prepares his speeches for this week's confidence votes in parliament.
Tourism Minister Massimo Garavaglia, a member of Matteo Salvini's League party, blasted Health Minister Roberto Speranza's decision to force Italy's ski slopes must stay closed until March 5 due to COVID-19 just hours before they were set to reopen on Monday.
Garavaglia said Speranza, a member of the left-wing LeU group, has shown a "lack of respect" for the people working in the ski tourism sector.
There are also big differences between the League and the centre-left Democratic Party (PD), which are making it difficult to settle the nomination of the various undersecretaries and deputy ministers who will be in the government, sources said.
Salvini met PD leader Nicola Zingaretti for talks late on Monday.
"It is necessary to lay down the battle axe and work," said Salvini.
There is also the problem of rifts within parties, something which affects the 5-Star Movement (M5S) in particular.
Many within the anti-establishment movement are unhappy about supporting a government led by a technocrat like Draghi, the former head of the European Central Bank (ECB), even though the move was ratified by a vote of M5S members last week.
There is speculation that around 20 M5S lawmakers could vote against in this week's confidence votes on the new government, in the Senate on Wednesday and in the Lower House on Thursday.
An online petition of M5S activists, including two M5S lawmakers, called for a new vote of members to be held on whether to back Draghi's executive.
"I understand the unease," said House Speaker and M5S bigwig Roberto Fico.
"But it is necessary to change perspective".
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