By Silvia Marchetti
ROME (MaceNews) – Ruling coalition parties are confident there will likely be a ‘third’ government ruled by outgoing premier Giuseppe Conte who resigned Monday but they warn that forming a new, stable majority able to put an end to Italy’s ongoing political crisis and avoid the risk of an early vote will be a tough task, according to sources.
Officials from the Democrat and 5 Stars parties believe the head of state Sergio Mattarella could hand over to Conte the task of vetting whether another ruling coalition can be formed, provided it has a strong political support in both branches of parliament. But most agree in ruling-out the risk of an early vote.
Party talks kicked-off Wednesday 5 pm CET and are expected to last till Thursday-Friday. All political forces will go to the presidential palace to discuss their position with Mattarella, who will then decide whether there are grounds for a third Conte government. If not, the head of state could pick some other political figure, or an outsider, to re-discuss with parties another coalition.
On Wednesday a new pro-European party formed at the Senate to support the government comprising 10 centrist senators who had already voted for Conte last week during a crucial confidence vote but are not enough to guarantee a stable majority to continue ruling up to 2023, when the current legislature will end. Party meetings and ‘underground’ talks among center-left leaders are underway to strike a deal and a program based on shared goals prior to talking with the head of state.
An early vote in full COVID pandemic would be a “measure of last-resort” if a political solution out of the crisis is not found, noted the sources, as Mattarella is bound by his constitutional role to seek any potential alternative ruling majority as long as it is widely supported by the majority parties.
“These days will be crucial in determining Italy’s future. It would be crazy to keep governing with just a bunch of extra votes at the Senate, and to negotiate support at each single vote on key measures and reforms. It would continue to be a highly unstable political situation”, said a Dem source.
Conte stepped down on Monday after winning a razor-thin vote of confidence at the Senate last week after his former ally Matteo Renzi’s group pulled out of the coalition triggering a political crisis. Despite the narrow victory Conte failed to secure an absolute majority necessary to continue governing.
Renzi’s party, even though it caused the crisis, has not yet totally ruled-out the possibility of externally supporting a third executive branch headed by Conte.
A 5 Stars sources warned that Italy’s political chaos is extremely risky and is triggering a spike in the yield between Italian and German bonds. “What we were able to gain this year from lower debt costs is now being squandered by the uncertain political outlook”.
Until a new ruling coalition is officially in charge again Italy stands in ‘off-mode’. Parliament work has stopped and no progress is being made on crucial plans including the decision on how to invest key pandemic European direct aid from the Recovery Fund.
The ‘second’ Conte government was formed in 2019 when the League party, then an ally of the 5 Stars, pulled out of the coalition and was substituted by the Democrats and Renzi’s minor Italia Viva group. It was Renzi who had liaised between the Dems and 5 Stars for a new Conte executive.
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Contact this reporter: silvia@macenews.com.
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