Italy might have failed to reach the World Cup, but at this stage, the months of June and July seem to be taken up by another kind of contest following the fact that Italy’s coalition-building talks have failed, leaving the country facing fresh elections in July or a neutral caretaker government until the end of the year.
President Sergio Mattarella said on Monday, on a televised message, that those were the only two options left after a third round of negotiations were unsuccessful.
The most influential parties, Five Star and The League, favour a new vote in July, even though Mattarella has the final say. A caretaker government would run until the end of the year and would then dissolve ahead of elections to be held at the start of 2019, Mattarella added. However, neither the Five Star movement nor The League declared their no to the proposal of Mattarella.
Following the latest round of talks aimed at forming a coalition, the biggest single party, the anti-establishment Five Star movement, could not agree on joining forces either with the right-wing alliance of Forza Italia and The League or with the centre-left Democratic Party. Previous attempts to break the deadlock since the inconclusive result on 4 March also came to nothing, with the parties’ starting positions reportedly remaining unchanged.
Mattarella urged party leaders to rally behind a “neutral government” after conceding that there would be no coalition deal. “We can’t wait any longer,” he said.
“Let the parties decide of their own free will if they should give full powers to a government… or else new elections in the month of July or the autumn.” He said a neutral administration would have the responsibility of drawing up a 2019 budget with the aim of avoiding the possible “recessionary effects” of a scheduled increase in sales taxes later in the year.
However, this request was not accepted.
The words of the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella do not change the line adopted by the M5S . ” Go to the vote in July “, in fact, according to what Ansa learns, the reply that filters from the top of the Movement . ” No trust in a” neutral “government , synonymous with the technical government, go to the vote in July”, wrote the leader of M5S Luigi Di Maio in a tweet. And at the end of the meeting of parliamentary groups, Di Maio said: “The assembly voted on the return to the elections and was compact, over 330 MPs”. The attitude of the voters will change “, the other parties” have shown that they think only of their own interests,
“We share the call to the responsibility of President Mattarella – said the secretary regent of the Democratic Party, Maurizio Martina – and we hope that it will be heard by all the political forces at this time.” The Democratic Party will not miss its support announced at the beginning from the president “.
“There is no need for a neutral government but one capable of siding with the Italians – said FdI president Giorgia Meloni – and Mattarella knows that no government is neutral.It is not clear why he wants to check whether a government of its emanation has less confidence but did not want to check if who won the election could find that same trust.The taboo to give office to the c.destra is incomprehensible and not shared.There will not be the votes of FdI for another government born in the laboratories of the Quirinale “.
“It is essential that the vote of the Italians is respected – said the League leader, Matteo Salvini – so either a center-right government or elections as soon as possible, for the first time in the summer. , there are no technical governments to the Monti, we count that Berlusconi keeps the word and has the same consistency, then the Italians will give us an absolute majority and we will change Italy on our own “.
“We have listened carefully and respect the words of President Mattarella – said Maria Stella Gelmini , deputy head of Fi – Fi is respectful of the vote of Italians and recognizes the united center will assess the positions within the coalition to be taken. ready as always to vote at any time but we believe that the vote in the summer is not suitable to ensure participation as also underlined by Mattarella.
” Fi consistently with the vote of the Italians will assess the position to be taken with the allies taking into account the commitments made between the leaders – this is what we read in a statement of Fi – We do not frighten the vote but summer does not help, better ‘Autumn”.
Calendar in hand , various variables excluded, the most realistic date for a vote in July would be that of 22 July . This is confirmed by parliamentary sources who are thinking about the procedures if they were to return to the polls as soon as possible.
