Mounting tensions bubbled close to
boiling point on Thursday between the two partners in Italy's
populist government, the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement
(M5S) and the far-right nationalist League.
M5S leader Luigi Di Maio first denied there would be a crisis
before admitting that relations with League chief Matteo Salvini
had fallen to an all-time low amid tensions over their differing
vote on the new European Commission chief and a row over a
reported conversation in a Moscow hotel in which a League
associate allegedly discussed skimming Russian oil profits to
fund the League.
"There is no crisis and there will be none, the current
government is the only one possible," Deputy Premier and Labour
and Industry Minister Di Maio said early in the day.
"If Salvini wants a crisis he should say so clearly," he
added later, however, calling a meeting of his closest aides and
saying the situation was "extremely serious" with the M5S being
"stabbed in the back" by the League in an "unprecedented" wave
of attacks over the last 48 hours.
He said that the M5S had been "loyal" but the League "wants
to go back with (former centre right premier Silvio)
Berlusconi".
Salvini, who is also deputy premier as well as being a
hardline interior minister cracking down on migrants and crime,
appeared to confirm the tensions were heading close to crisis
point.
Beyond the current Italian government "there are only
elections," Salvini said replying to a direct question on a
possible government crisis.
Told that the 'window' for elections was closing, Salvini
said "the window is always open".
On the possibility of elections in the autumn, he said "it's
a question to ask others, Matteo Salvini does not decide.
"The interior ministry continues to work".
Asked if personal trust had been lost with Di Maio, Salvini
said "unfortunately yes" but said "everything is possible" when
asked if they could mend fences.
Di Maio, when asked about the League's no vote for Ursula von
der Leyen and his own 5-Star Movement's (M5S) yes vote for her
to head the EU executive, told Corriere della Sera that "the
League won the European elections and now it must demonstrate
something".
As for the League-Russia case, Di Maio reiterated that
Salvini should report to parliament on it.
He said that if he suspected the League over the Russia
funding allegations, the government would fall.
"If I had the slightest suspicion that the League took money
from Russia I wouldn't be in government with them," he told
Unomattina.
Di Maio reiterated "the issue is that if the parliament asks
for a hearing then it's right for (Salvini) to go to
parliament".
The M5S chief, who is also deputy premier, industry and
labour minister, reiterated that he wanted "nothing to do" with
the centre-left opposition Democratic Party (PD) and was not "in
the slightest" thinking of a possible alternative government
with the PD.
In other remarks, he said the League risked isolating Italy
in the European union like Greece was.
He further said Salvini's party had reneged on a deal to vote
for von der Leyen in exchange for a European commissioner post
for Rome.
Di Maio said that, by accusing the M5S of betraying the
alliance by voting for the German Christian Democrat former
defence minister, the League was "lying".
Salvini said earlier he was fed up of getting negative
answers from the M5S.
"If I get another three nos, on justice, autonomy and the
budget, then everything changes," he told Corriere della Sera
and La Repubblica dailies.
Salvini said he would brief parliament on the alleged Russian
funding for the League, reiterating his strong denial, and said
he did not understand "what (Premier Giuseppe) Conte has to
report on Russia" after the premier said he would report to the
Senate on the case on July 24.
Salvini also said that it was "extremely serious" that the
M5S and the PD had been allegedly "together for two days, for
now just in Europe".
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