Fears of an early elections in Italy as coalition partners accuse each other of corruption
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Italy’s coalition government seems to be veering closer to collapse after the far-right League and anti-establishment Five Star Movement allies traded allegations of corruption.
The allegations are directed against the League’s Armando Siri, a close ally of Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini. The leader of the League’s government partner, 5-Star Movement (M5S) chief Luigi Di Maio, called for Siri to resign “for ethical and political reasons”.
Siri, undersecretary at the Transportation Ministry, is accused by Rome prosecutors of accepting a €30,000 bribe for allegedly seeking to favour businessmen in the renewable energy sector. Salvini, leader of the League, defended Siri and added that he had never demanded the resignation of any M5S member when they were placed under investigation and insisted that all talk about a government crisis is in Di Maio’s head.
Shortly afterwards the Italian magazine L’Espresso raised allegations of misbehaviour against one of Five Stars’ most high profile figures. The mayor of Rome Virginia Raggi, whose term has been marred by allegations of corruption and a rubbish crisis, was recorded urging the head of the city’s rubbish-collection company to modify its budget – an apparent abuse of her powers.
Salvini, leader of the League and who has firmly defended Siri, nevertheless immediately called Raggi to step down.
League officials were also infuriated by the decision of Transport minister Danilo Toninelli, a Five Star politician, to strip Mr Siri of his responsibilities until his judicial position is clarified.
Salvini could be tempted to force an early election as recent polls show the League drawing around 33 per cent, against 22 per cent for the Five Stars. But the League’s leader is reluctant to join forces again with his former ally, ex-premier and Forza Italia’s leader Silvio Berlusconi.
