No veto on Conte says Marcucci

(ANSA) - Rome, August 26 - There is no veto on caretaker premier Giuseppe Conte staying on at the helm of a new 5-Star Movement (M5S)-Democratic Party (PD) government, PD Senate Whip Andrea Marcucci said Monday.
    "There are no vetoes, we're talking about content", said Marcucci.
    PD leader Nicola Zingaretti reiterated earlier Monday that a change is needed in a government team that could be the fruit of any deal between the centre-left PD and the anti-establishment 5-Star M5S.
    Zingaretti reiterated his opposition to the last premier, Giuseppe Conte, taking over at the head of a new M5S-PD executive.
    "Discontinuity is needed," he said.
    Zingaretti also reiterated that he thought that a "turning-point" government was needed marking a clear break from the policies of the previous M5S-League government.
    "I am, and I remain, convinced that a government is needed for this country, a turning-point government," he said.
    The PD is talking to the M5S in a bid to set up an M5S-PD government.
    But M5S leader Luigi Di Maio's insistence that caretaker premier Giuseppe Conte, who led the M5S-League executive, should get a fresh term as premier is blocking a deal.
    Zingaretti has stressed the possible new government must mark a "change" from the 14-month M5S-League administration, Italy's first all-populist government.
    The stalemate has boosted the chances of President Sergio Mattarella calling a fresh election at the end of October.
    There is even a chance that the M5S may get back together with the nationalist League amid overtures from League leader Matteo Salvini.
    But Salvini, who is riding high in opinion polls thanks to tough anti-migrant policies, would be the biggest beneficiary from an early election.
    On Monday Zingaretti said "we must listen to each other", stressing that both the M5S and PD must be prepared to make concessions in the talks.
    He also repeated "we need a change in the (government) team".
    "I am working on a serious solution," he said.
    ""We can and we must go forward," he said.