Italian President Sergio
Mattarella on Thursday handed outgoing Premier Giuseppe Conte a
mandate to form a government, presidency secretary general Ugo
Zampetti said after the two men met at the Quirinal Palace.
Conte, as is the usual practice, reserved the right to accept
the mandate pending talks with the two parties supporting the
government bid, the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) and
the centre-left Democratic Party (PD).
The M5S-PD government would replace the M5S-League
administration which nationalist League leader Matteo Salvini
brought down earlier this month, citing M5S inaction.
Premier-designate Conte will try to form a government on the
basis of an existing agreement, certified by consultations with
Mattarella, between former fierce foes the M5S and the PD.
Among the chief hurdles, aside form a programme between
parties with very different stances on many issues, is the role
of M5S leader Luigi Di Maio who appears bent on trying to remain
as deputy premier.
Another sticking point is the M5S's determination to put any
government deal to its rank-and-file members on its online
Rousseau platform where it has always ratified major policy
decisions.
PD leader Nicola Zingaretti said "we need the courage to try
to end the season of hatred".
Conte, once portrayed as a puppet of Di Maio and Salvini's,
came into his own with a resignation speech to the Senate in
which he made a blistering attack on "the irresponsible
opportunist" Salvini, accusing the nationalist leader of trying
to capitalise on surging poll numbers in trying to go to the
country in a snap election.
Conte blasted Salvini's "obsession" with migrants and his
cavalier and "offensive" use of religious symbols, among other
things.
The speech, which put Conte firmly in the M5S camp, also won
widespread plaudits from the left.
Conte, 15 months ago a political neophyte plucked from an
academic career in law to act as "guarantor" of the M5S-League
government, Italy's first all-populist coalition, was seen as
eloquently condemning Salvini's alleged act of hubris.
It will now be up to him to bring together the widely
divergent M5S and PD stances.
As for one-time strongman Salvini, who desperately tried to
reverse pulling the plug on the government once he saw the
possible M5S-PD tie-up, he will be licking his wounds in
opposition and appealing to the public against what he says is
an "unnatural" administration that betrays the will of the
people.
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