Italy: the resignation of two ministers puts the coalition government on hold

Matteo Renzi during the press conference where he announced the resignation of two ministers from his Italia Viva party on January 13, 2021. AP - Alberto Pizzoli

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The former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, leader of the small formation Italia Viva, announced this Wednesday, January 13 the resignation of the two ministers of his party in reaction to the policy of the current head of government, Giuseppe Conte.

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Teresa Bellanova and Elena Bonetti have slammed the door of their respective ministries: Agriculture and Family.

The head of their party Matteo Renzi criticizes in particular the President of the Council Giuseppe Conte for his management, considered solitary of the pandemic and his plan to spend the more than 200 billion euros that the European Union must grant to Italy within

the framework of its mega stimulus plan.

. 

The crisis opened by Matteo Renzi could bring down the government, because without the 18 parliamentarians of

his small party Italia Viva

,

the executive would no longer have an absolute majority in the Senate.

But during his press conference Renzi was not clear on his real intentions, remarks our correspondent in Rome,

Anne Le Nir

.

He could reverse his position and continue to support the Democratic Party and the Five Star Movement, the main parties in the ruling coalition, provided that a new governing pact is sealed and there is greater collegiality in the decisions.

Even Giuseppe Conte would have to agree to negotiate.

Nothing is less certain, because, for more than an hour, the leader of Italia Viva fired red balls against the President of the Council, to the point of declaring that he undermined democracy.

A vote of confidence in Parliament or a resignation of Conte? 

Faced with this new situation, Conte could ask for a vote of confidence in parliament, hoping to obtain enough votes in the opposition to compensate for the departure of Renzi's party, even if this option remains unlikely, the head of government arguing need a "

solid

 "

majority 

without looking for " 

a vote here, a vote there 

".

Another hypothesis could be for the Prime Minister to resign and obtain a new mandate from the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella with a reshuffled team.

Giuseppe Conte also spoke on Wednesday at his request with Sergio Mattarella.

This reshuffle could be a way to appease Renzi by giving his party more important ministries.

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• Italy

• Giuseppe Conte