EU hopes Italy will get government soon

Brussels April 24 (IANS/AKI) The European Union hopes that a government will be formed in Italy "soon" ending the stalemate since last month s inconclusive election EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem said on Monday.

"We hope there will soon be a new Italian government with which the EU and members states can have relations " Malmstroem told a press conference here.

Earlier Monday the European Commission s chief spokesperson Margaritis Schinass said the EU executive had "utmost faith" in Italy s President Sergio Mattarella who has the task of overseeing efforts to end the post-election deadlock.

Mattarella on Monday asked the lower house of parliament s Speaker Roberto Fico to hold talks with the main party leaders on a possible coalition government.

Fico s consultations will be the fourth round of talks this month amid a mesh of seemingly irreconcilable demands by Italy s political leaders.

Italy - the eurozone s third largest economy - has had a caretaker government since the March 4 ballot in which populist parties made strong gains but no party or bloc won a parliamentary majority.

Mattarella is reported to be eager to avoid more elections this year and wants to have a workable coalition government in place by a European Union heads of state and government summit in Brussels on June 28.

--IANS/AKI
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