Italy: a "political agreement" found between the M5S and the Democratic Party to form a government

5-star Movement (M5S) leader Luigi Di Maio announced on Wednesday (August 28th) that he had "reached an agreement" with the Democratic Party (PD, center-left) to form a new government in Italy, which will replace the national alliance -populist of the M5S with the League (far right) of Matteo Salvini.

A "political agreement has been reached with the PD" to form a new majority of government under the leadership of outgoing Prime Minister Guiseppe Conte, said Luigi Di Maio, coming out of a meeting with President Sergio Mattarella.

The new government will again be led by Giuseppe Conte, and this "will be a guarantee" for the M5S, added Luigi Di Maio, criticizing his ex-ally Matteo Salvini for having early August "cut the current" of the coalition that they had been training for 14 months and left "60 million Italians without government".

A draft joint program

The Five Stars was the last political formation to be received Wednesday, after two days of consultations led by Sergio Mattarella. First party in parliament since the legislative elections of 2018, it is central to the formation of a majority.

Before Luigi Di Maio, the leader of the PD, Nicola Zingaretti, had appeared optimistic after he left the presidential delegation's interview. He had thought it possible to form a "government of change" that would give "the voice of beautiful Italy, where hope wins over fear, understanding about resentment and concord over hate".

Nicola Zingaretti announced the development by the two formations of a "first political contribution to present to the president", namely a draft joint program, after several days of negotiations punctuated by murderous sentences, suspension of meeting and rabibochages .

Parliamentary sources of the Five Stars said "share the point of view" of Nicola Zingaretti and confirmed that on the main themes, both sides "agree". The head of the PD had also indicated that his party accepted that "the M5S chooses the future prime minister", without however pronouncing the name of Giuseppe Conte.

The latter, very popular in Italy, has in recent days obtained support, first from Europeans at the G7 in Biarritz (France), then Monday from US President Donald Trump, who called him "a very talented man".

The M5S exerted strong pressure for the maintenance of Giuseppe Conte, to whom the PD criticized his silence for 14 months against the anti-migrant diktats of Matteo Salvini.

Italy is plunged into a deep political crisis, since the blasting on August 8 by the Minister of the Interior and head of the League, the previous coalition formed with the M5S, and the resignation on August 20 of the head of government Giuseppe Tale.

The joint program must be approved by the M5S, which wants to submit the agreement to its Internet platform of "direct democracy", highly disputed for its lack of transparency and representativeness (100,000 registered only, for more than 10 million voters to the 2018 legislative elections). This vote could take place during the weekend.

Popular ministerial portfolios

A question mark concerns the allocation of ministerial portfolios, on which the M5S intends to weigh in view of its relative majority in the parliament resulting from the legislative elections of 2018.

Another question mark, the fate of Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio, laminated mediately by Matteo Salvini in 14 months of alliance, and very weakened in the current crisis.

The former Interior Minister mocked a government that will be "hostage to ministerial portfolio hunters". But the formation of this majority is a stinging setback for the former strongman of the country.

He denounced a government "formed on the indications of Paris, Berlin and Brussels". "The only cement that unites the PD and the 5 Stars is hatred for the League, the first party in Italy," he said, referring to polls that gave him 36 or 38 % of voting intentions in early August.

"I have the feeling that there is a goal from far away, that does not come from Italy, to sell off the country and the companies to powers that are not Italian, which would be a lack of respect for the Italians, "he told reporters after meeting President Mattarella.

With AFP