Despite the move, Salvini is still the most popular politician in Italy. Moreover, the chances of the new government coalition lasting until 2023, are slim.
The two leftist parties entered coalition talks – despite being bitter political enemies – after the ruling alliance of M5S and Salvini’s League Party collapsed. The sworn enemies will now join forces inside Parliament to stop Salvini’s anti-immigration drive.
Only days ago, the Democratic Party suggested that the M5S was the party of the Mafia, corrupt elites and kidnappers. Despite that, Prime Minister Guiseppe Conte got a fresh mandate Thursday to try to form a new government majority.
Hoping to seize on his rise in popularity, Salvini had wanted to consolidate the surging anti-immigration support base. The prospect of new elections posed an threat to M5S, whose support among voters has halved over the past 14 months in alliance with the League.
“Today we told the president that there was a political agreement with the Democratic Party,” Luigi Di Maio, M5S leader said on Wednesday. Di Maio turned down the offer from the League for the position of premier in a new government.
“I thank the League for the offer,” Di Maio said. “With gratitude and sincerity.”
President Donald Trump also waded into the Italian government crisis by tweeting support for leftist Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.
“Starting to look good for the highly respected Prime Minister of the Italian Republic, Giuseppe Conte. Represented Italy powerfully at the G-7. Loves his Country greatly & works well with the USA. A very talented man who will hopefully remain Prime Minister!” Trump tweeted this week.
Conte, in his resignation speech to the Senate launched a blistering attack against “the irresponsible opportunist” Salvini, accusing hims of trying to capitalise on surging poll numbers.
He singled out Salvini’s “obsession” with migrants and his “offensive” use of religious symbols, among other things.
A mere 15 months ago, Conte was still a political neophyte, stuck in an academic career in law before he was appointed as “guarantor” of the M5S-League government, Italy’s first populist coalition.
Salvini appealed to voters to reject the new “unnatural” administration that betrays the will of the people.
The Democratic Party has been desperate to stop Salvini’s immigration reforms. “This government is the least democratic and representative of all time. How do you get an executive to start something in which the founding members themselves do not believe?” Salvini noted.
He meanwhile accused the Prime Minister of stalling government work. “I wonder: since when did our government cease to function? The answer is: since Giuseppe Conte summoned everything to Palazzo Chigi. He has centralized all the dossiers and everything has stalled: procurement code, autonomy, justice, tax reform … Even tourism and adoptions,” said Salvini.
“I was embarrassed. The entrepreneurs told me that the procurement code was waiting for news as early as the end of 2018, while at the beginning of this month nothing had moved yet.”
Salvini says he does not regret having triggered the government crisis at the beginning of August. “The issue would have come up with the maneuver in September. So, at least, we forced everyone to cast away their masks.”
According to the League leader, “some people were bothered by a government that was restoring pride, sovereignty and a future to Italian families”. He added that “60 million Italians are being held hostage by 100 MPs”.
“Wouldn’t it be wiser and more honest and decisive to let Italians vote and for five years have a solid, stable and coherent majority?”, he asked.
“The government that is about to be born will be weak, and desired in Brussels and Berlin. [President] Mattarella asked for a government with a long prospect: tell me seriously, someone, if an M5S and PD government would have long prospects. It’s would be a long agony.”
No comments.
By submitting a comment you grant Free West Media a perpetual license to reproduce your words and name/web site in attribution. Inappropriate and irrelevant comments will be removed at an admin’s discretion. Your email is used for verification purposes only, it will never be shared.