Draghi government on the brink of crisis

(ANSA) - ROME, JUL 14 - Premier Mario Draghi's executive is on the brink of a formal crisis of government after 5-Star Movement (M5S) leader Giuseppe Conte said the group's Senators will leave the chamber when a confidence vote takes place on Thursday on an aid package for the cost-of-living crisis.
    Former European Central Bank (ECB) President Draghi has said he will not continue with his government of national unity without the support of the M5S.
    Draghi's administration was formed early in 2021 to address the COVID-19 pandemic and manage almost 200 billion euros in grants and low-interest loans from the European Union for Italy's National Resilience and Recovery Plan (NRRP) after ex-premier Conte's second government collapsed.
    Up to now Draghi's executive had been supported by all the major parties in parliament, except for the right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) group.
    On Thursday Relations with Parliament Minister Federico D'Incà, a M5S lawmaker who opposed Conte's stance, tried to mediate and find a way for the decree to pass without it being put to confidence vote.
    But sources said Draghi rejected this idea as he saw a confidence vote as the only way forward.
    If the Draghi government collapses, it may be necessary for Italy to hold early elections in the autumn.
    This is what League leader Matteo Salvini and FdI head Giorgio Meloni have been calling for.
    On Thursday Salvini spoke of "full harmony within the centre-right" alliance, which also includes ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia as well as FdI and the League. The M5S and the centre-left Democratic Party (PD) had been expected to run as allies at the next election, which had been set to take place early in 2023 at the end of the current parliamentary term.
    PD leader Enrico Letta said that the M5S's position on the Draghi government "changes the political scenario.
    "We take note of this decision," Letta added.
    "It isn't ours and we don't agree with it.
    "Today we will support the confidence vote with conviction".
    Conte had recently presented Draghi with a list of demands he said the M5S wanted to be met in order to stay in the executive.
    On Tuesday Draghi showed willingness to reach agreement on some of these issues, including a demand for the introduction of a minimum wage.
    But he also stressed that the sense of his government would be 'lost" if the parties supporting it started to lay down ultimatums.
    Some political commentators see the break with the government as a way for the once anti-establishment M5S to reaffirm its identity.
    The Internet-based movement was only founded by Grillo in 2009 but it fast won support among people disaffected by Italy's traditional parties and it was the individual group that won most votes in the 2018 general election.
    It has now been part of three coalition governments though and, with the compromises that come with being in power, a signification chunk of its support has fallen away recently.
    The M5S is currently fourth in the polls with the support of around 12% of the electorate, according to surveys.
    It is no longer the biggest party in parliament after Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio quit to form a breakaway group following a row over Conte's opposition to sending more weapons to Ukraine. (ANSA).