Italy's M5S seeks centre-left coalition with 'solid majority'

The leader of Italy’s anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) has said he is striving for a solid majority with the centre-left Democratic party (PD) after the collapse of its stormy alliance with the far-right League.

“We won’t let the ship sink, or Italians will pay,” Luigi Di Maio said after a meeting with the country’s president, Sergio Mattarella.

Mattarella met leaders of Italy’s main parties on Thursday to see if an alternative government can be formed after the outgoing prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, ended the M5S-League coalition. The alliance had been on shaky ground since it came to power in June 2018.

The collapse was triggered earlier this month by the League leader Matteo Salvini’s call for fresh elections, as he sought to exploit the his party’s growing popularity.

Fearing an M5S-PD alliance that would put paid to his election hopes, Salvini appeared to backtrack after his talks with Mattarella on Thursday. He said he still wanted elections, but that the League could also resume governing with M5S as long as it got things done.

“There was a stalled government that stalled the country. If they want to restart the government and the country, I am here, without looking back … if there’s a different team that get things done, I won’t hold a grudge,” he said.

“An M5S-PD agreement would mean returning to ‘the old politics’. My interest is that Italians have a government that does things … I’m sure Mattarella has and will have all the elements to choose in the best interests of the people and country.” Salvini said he had discovered that some within M5S backed his “brave” budget proposal.

M5S and the PD are in talks to come up with a programme that could steer the government through until the end of its legislative term in 2023.

The PD leader, Nicola Zingaretti, who until Wednesday had resisted talk of an alliance with M5S, has outlined five key conditions. They include a change in policy on the management of migrants, a commitment to remaining in the EU, more investment, changes to social and economic policy and a focus on sustainable development.

Zingaretti told reporters after meeting Mattarella on Thursday that he was willing to explore a government with M5S but not at any cost.

“We need a turning-point government, alternative to the rightist parties, with a new, solid programme, an ample parliamentary base, which will restore hope to Italians,” he said. “If these conditions do not exist, the natural outcome of the crisis is an early election for which the PD is ready.”

Mattarella could give the parties a few more days to negotiate if he is convinced they can form a strong government. They would need to nominate a prime minister by Monday.

Italian media reported on Thursday that Mattarella would probably opt for early elections if M5S and the PD failed to come to an agreement.