Italians lose faith in politicians as government crisis continues

Record ID: 1428841

  • Title: Italians lose faith in politicians as government crisis continues
  • Date: 27th August 2019
  • Summary: ROME, ITALY (RECENT - AUGUST 22, 2019) (REUTERS) 5-STAR MOVEMENT LEADER LUIGI DI MAIO ENTERING QUIRINALE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE FOR THE FIRST ROUND OF TALKS
  • Embargoed: 10th September 2019 11:05
  • Keywords: 5-Star Movement Giuseppe Conte Luigi Di Maio Italian President Sergio Mattarella Government crisis League Democratic Party talks consultations Nicola Zingaretti Matteo Salvini
  • Location: ROME, ITALY AND BIARRITZ, FRANCE
  • City: ROME, ITALY AND BIARRITZ, FRANCE
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA005ATZUIIV
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Italians on Tuesday (August 27) voiced their disappointment about their political leaders as the 5-Star Movement suspended talks on forming a new ruling coalition with the opposition Democratic Party (PD), saying they would only reconvene them when the PD committed to retain Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte as government leader.
    The anti-establishment 5-Star party and centre-left PD, traditional political enemies, are trying to forge a government after 5-Star's 14-month-old coalition with the right-wing League party broke down this month after months of infighting.
    But Rome residents expressed - once again - their lack of faith towards their ruling class.
    "At least in the past Italian political system there were the so-called 'founding fathers' representing left and right parties. There was an idea, there were values. Today there are only minor politicians", Raffaello Caimani told Reuters.
    Late on Monday (August 26) night, 5-Star and the PD appeared close to a deal, with the PD indicating it had dropped a veto on Conte serving another term as prime minister.
    However, 5-Star called a halt to the talks on Tuesday in a statement that contrasted sharply with the previous day's apparent progress.
    "The situation is terrible because they do not agree, there is no government that thinks about the common good. They only think about themselves. They want to go to power only for money", Rome resident Lucio Caputo said.
    Conte, who belongs to no party but is close to 5-Star, resigned last week after League leader Matteo Salvini declared the governing coalition was broken and called for snap elections.
    On Monday, Conte took part in a four-hour meeting with 5-Star leader Luigi Di Maio and PD chief Nicola Zingaretti. 5-Star complained late in the night that the PD had not yet unequivocally backed Conte to lead the new government.
    PD said many details had still to be worked out.
    The two parties are due to report back to President Sergio Mattarella on Wednesday (August 28). If they have not sealed a deal by then, Mattarella will name a caretaker government and call early elections.
    (Production: Gabriele Pileri, Matteo Berlenga, Fabiano Franchitti)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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