The negotiations are difficult. The leader of the Movement 5 Stars (M5S), Luigi Di Maio, posed Friday, August 30, his conditions for the participation of his training to a new government in Italy with the Democratic Party (PD). The Democratic Party said it was surprised by the demands of its eventual coalition partner.
Burying the hatchet after years of hostilities, the M5S and the PD have reached an agreement under which Giuseppe Conte was renewed on Thursday to the presidency of the Council. But they still have to agree on a common program and the distribution of ministries.
>> Read also: Giuseppe Conte, reiterated by the President, wants to bring Italy back to the "forefront in Europe"
Increase purchasing power
Frigi Di Maio, who was received by Giuseppe Conte on Friday, said the effective support of the M5S to the next government would depend on the welcome that would be given to his proposals, particularly on reducing the number of parliamentarians and on
the revocation of the motorway concession granted to Atlantia.
"The points of our program are clear, if they are included in the government program, then we can go in. If not, it will be better to have new elections as soon as possible," he said. said.
Luigi Di Maioa stressed the need to reduce the tax burden to increase the purchasing power of Italians. He also called for the abandonment of the projected increase in VAT. The next government will have to cut taxes on middle-class income to boost consumption, said PD leader Nicola Zingaretti after talks with Giuseppe Conte.
Rules "totally rewritten"
On immigration, Luigi Di Maio said that the current European rules should be "totally rewritten". And to demand that a recent law drastically restricting the rescue of migrants at sea be accepted by his partner.
The M5S, however, has published a program in twenty streaks where there is no reference to this law on migrants wanted by the outgoing Minister of the Interior Matteo Salvini, leader of the far right League.
From a source close to the M5S, Luigi Di Maio's harsh tone is a message sent to the base of his movement, while many M5S activists see the PD as the very symbol of a corrupt system.
A consultation with M5S members
The M5S has decided to submit for approval to its members any agreement with the PD, in an online vote. The date of this consultation has not yet been fixed but it is likely that the vote will take place in the coming days.
Luigi Di Maio also accused the DP of focusing too much on the names of possible ministers. "Incomprehensible (...) Have you changed your mind?",
tweeted in response the number two of the PD, Andrea Orlando.
Incomprensibile the conferenza stampa di Luigi Di Maio.
Ha cambiato idea?
Lo dica con chiarezza.
"These threats and ultimatums of Di Maio are unacceptable," added Democratic Party MP Maria Elena Boschi.
After a week of gains fueled by the hope of Italy avoiding a return to the polls - with a possible victory for the League - and endowing itself with a pro-European government, the stock market has lost ground at the close ( -0.35%).
A poll released Friday by La Stampa shows that the League has lost some support since Matteo Salvini torpedo August 8 government coalition he formed since June 2018 with the M5S, but it remains clearly the most popular party from Italy, with 32% of voting intentions
(Against 36% a month ago).
With Reuters