- Title: Italy's Di Maio wants to form coalition with PD
- Date: 28th August 2019
- Summary: ROME, ITALY (AUGUST 28, 2019) (REUTERS) LEADER OF 5-STAR MOVEMENT, LUIGI DI MAIO, ENTERING QUIRINALE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE ITALIAN FLAG WAVING ON BALCONY DI MAIO ARRIVING TO SPEAK TO MEDIA AFTER TALKS WITH ITALIAN PRESIDENT SERGIO MATTARELLA CLOSE UP OF CORAZZIERI HONOUR GUARD (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) LEADER OF 5-STAR MOVEMENT, LUIGI DI MAIO, SAYING: "Today we told the President of the Republic that there is a political agreement with the Democratic Party so that Giuseppe Conte could again be appointed prime minister and try to form a long-term government." MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) LEADER OF 5-STAR MOVEMENT, LUIGI DI MAIO, SAYING: "If in the next few hours the President of the Republic should decide to entrust the task to Giuseppe Conte, as leader of the 5-Star Movement, I will ask that the formation process of the new government starts from the creation of a homogeneous programme that would focus on citizens and their daily problems." PHOTOGRAPHER DI MAIO LEAVING
- Embargoed: 11th September 2019 18:24
- Keywords: 5-Star Movement Giuseppe Conte coalition Luigi Di Maio government crisis League Democratic Party Italian politics Matteo Salvini
- Location: ROME, ITALY
- City: ROME, ITALY
- Country: Italy
- Topics: Lawmaking,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001AU4UR0N
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Italy's 5-Star Movement leader Luigi Di Maio on Wednesday (August 28) said his party would try form a coalition with the opposition Democratic Party (PD), setting aside years of hostility to avert a snap election and ease economic uncertainty.
"Today we told the President of the Republic that there is a political agreement with the Democratic Party so that Giuseppe Conte could again be appointed prime minister and try to form a long-term government", Di Maio told reporters after a meeting with President Sergio Mattarella.
Following days of often tense and difficult talks, the leaders of 5-Star and the PD told Italy's president that the new government should once again be led by the outgoing prime minister Giuseppe Conte.
The two sides still need to agree on a shared policy platform and team of ministers, but 5-Star chief Luigi Di Maio and his PD counterpart Nicola Zingaretti said they had committed to find common ground for the good of the country.
The previous coalition made up of 5-Star and the far-right League collapsed this month when League leader Matteo Salvini withdrew from the alliance hoping to trigger an early election and cash in on his surging popularity.
But his move backfired when Conte refused to resign immediately, giving 5-Star and the PD time to try to overcome their fierce mutual animosity and agree to a government that had previously appeared impossible.
The prospect of a new administration led by Conte, an academic who is considered close to the 5-Star, has buoyed markets, which are betting that Italy will get a fiscally prudent government that will avoid confrontation with Europe.
(Production: Carmelo Camilli, Matteo Berlenga, Fabiano Franchitti) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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