ROME : Italy’s anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, the largest party in parliament after this month’s election, should try to form a government with its far-right rivals the League, two of its senior politicians said on Tuesday.
The election produced a hung parliament and 5-Star has said it is willing to talk to all parties in parliament to try to form a government. However, the parliamentarians told Reuters they believed the only realistic hope of a coalition was with the League.
The League has claimed the right to name the prime minister because it is the leading party in a centre-right bloc that won the most seats in parliament. Its leader, Matteo Salvini, said on Monday he was ready to talk to 5-Star about a coalition.
“Salvini is doing everything right and there are plenty of policies we can agree on,” said a prominent 5-Star senator.
Both lawmakers who spoke to Reuters said they were encouraged by a change of stance from Salvini this week, who showed a willingness to consider income support for the poor, which is 5-Star’s flagship policy.
Both asked not to be named because of the delicate state of negotiations on trying to put together a ruling coalition.
They dismissed the view expressed by some commentators that 5-Star’s voters, who come mainly from the south, would be hostile to a deal with the League because its power base is in the rich north.
Despite this, there are still some major sticking points in the way of them hooking up, not least of which is Berlusconi’s presence in the centre-right coalition.
5-Star, which bases its appeal on a pledge to clean up politics, is fiercely hostile to the four-times prime minister, who has a conviction for tax fraud and is on trial in another case for allegedly bribing witnesses.
“I would not find it acceptable for us to have a role in any government which includes Forza Italia,” one of the lawmakers said. Salvini has vowed not to abandon his allies, saying such a shift would betray voters who backed the bloc at the ballot box.
