Italy: Ex-premier gives thumbs-down to revived coalition

Now, Mattarella could push for a different solution: another cobbled-together governing coalition or a broader assembly of parties, including from the current opposition, overseen by a non-political figure to leave the nation as it struggles with COVID-19.

The president could also decide to give the say to the voters, by calling an early parliamentary election. Mattarella has made clear from the start that Italy’s health, economic and social crises demand a solid government soon.

The pandemic has devastated Italy’s long-stagnant economy and left the country with Europe’s second-highest COVID-19 death toll.

During the last-ditch discussions, the parties in what is now Conte’s caretaker government squabbled over European Union pandemic aid and other key policy issues that were blocking formation of a more solid coalition.

Renzi put all the blame on the failed effort on the other parties, saying, “We take note of the ‘nyet’ of the colleagues of the ex-coalition,” using the Russian word for “no.”

In turn, the populist 5-Star Movement, which was the main partner in both Conte’s governments since he came to power in 2018, contended that all Renzi wanted was more power.

“It’s obvious that the aim was to obtain more (Cabinet) posts. This was his most pressing” goal in provoking the crisis, said Vito Crimi, a 5-Star leader.

Mattarella on Friday had tasked a parliamentary leader, Chamber of Deputies President Roberto Fico, with guiding and encouraging the potential new coalition partners in a bid to overcome differences and guarantee a new government could be forged to guarantee a dependable majority in the legislature.

Except for Renzi, all the other leaders of the former coalition parties had thrown their public weight behind Conte for a new mandate.

In yanking his support, Renzi had contended that Conte was bumbling the challenge of managing how more than 200 billion euros (about $250 billion) in EU funds and loans would be spent to help Italy recover from the pandemic’s damage, especially to the Italian economy.

The government statistical agency ISTAT, reported Monday that nearly 450,000 jobs were lost in the last year.

Particularly at loggerheads were the populist 5-Star Movement, which is close to Conte and is the largest coalition party, and Renzi’s small fold.

The 5-Stars have resisted accepting billions of euros in EU loans aimed at shoring up the national health system, aid the populists fear could make Italy beholden to EU dictates such as austerity measures. They also want to keep one of their signature policies — a guaranteed minimum income for Italians with no or low-paying jobs.

Renzi insists Italy should take the health system aid from Brussels and disparages the minimum income mechanism as ineffective in jump-starting the Italian economy, which struggled to grow for years before the pandemic struck.

Approaches to reforming Italy’s justice system also have put the parties in the potential revived coalition at odds.

Largely caught in the cross-fire has been the centre-left Democratic Party, which Renzi led during his 2014-2016 tenure as premier and he broke away from to start his more centrist party shortly after Conte formed his second coalition government in September 2019.

Conte’s first government, which took office in June 2018, partnered the 5-Stars with the right-wing League of Matteo Salvini. That coalition collapsed when Salvini withdrew his support in a failed manoeuvr to gain the premiership for himself. The Democrats, which then included Renzi, replaced Salvini’s forces in Conte’s second government.

Salvini, whose party has eclipsed the 5-Stars in opinion polls, has been pushing for an early election.

Frances D’Emilio, The Associated Press

by Canadian Press

Italy: Ex-premier gives thumbs-down to revived coalition

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