Zero chance of government with Berlusconi, say Italian populists
Rome April 10 (IANS/AKI) Luigi Di Maio leader of the populist Five-Star Movement - Italy s biggest parliamentary party - on Monday ruled out any prospect of governing Italy with former Premier Silvio Berlusconi and the centre-right alliance.
"There is a 0 per cent chance of the Five-Star Movement entering government with Berlusconi and his collection of centre-right parties " tweeted Di Maio.
The tweet came after Matteo Salvini leader of the far-right League party which heads the centre-right coalition said he would only negotiate with Five-Star on forming a government shunning any coalition with the centre-left Democratic Party.
The centre-right coalition which includes Berlusconi s conservative Forza Italia party emerged as the largest group after Italy s inconclusive March 4 national election led to a hung parliament.
The Democratic Party (PD) came third in the polls - its worst-ever electoral result and Salvini has rejected any coalition with the PD which has so far vowed to go into opposition.
Italy s President Sergio Mattarella last week held two days of formal talks with Italy s main party leaders which failed to break the political deadlock and is due to hold fresh talks later this week.
Both Five-Star and the League are laying claim to a first bid to form a government.
Salvini has refused to break with Berlusconi which is a condition posed by Five-Star leader Luigi Di Maio for a tie-up.
Berlusconi has made clear he wanted nothing to do with Five-Star in response to its own rejection of him due to his tax fraud conviction.
The complex web of apparently irreconcilable demands have complicated Mattarella s talks with party leaders and his advisers have warned that it could take many weeks to find a solution.
But Mattarella is keen to avoid fresh polls this year and wants to have a coalition government in place by a European Union heads of state and government summit taking place in Brussels on June 28 La Repubblica daily reported on Monday.
--IANS/AKI
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