After Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte resigned on Tuesday and officially ended the Lega-Five-Star government, Italy’s President Sergio Mattarella must once again serve as a crisis manager. Mattarella will launch political consultations on Wednesday afternoon to find a solution.
Mattarella will hold talks with former head of state Giorgio Napolitano on Wednesday, as well as with parliamentary presidents Maria Elisabetta Casellati and Roberto Fico. Afterwards he will meet the representatives of the parties represented in Parliament. After the end of the consultation, which will last until Thursday, Mattarella wants to draw his conclusions and tell how he wants to proceed to resolve the crisis.
Conte had resigned this evening after Interior Minister Matteo Salvini filed a motion of no confidence against him at the beginning of August. Mattarella asked non-party Conte to continue with his duties until a new head of government is appointed. The President in office since 2015 had already been on the ball after the formation of a government between Lega and the Five-Star Movement had burst.
Settlement with Salvini
Conte had announced his resignation in a speech in the Roman Senate. Conte also counted on the coalition partner and Lega boss Salvini, who sat next to the premier during the statement. Conte accused Salvini of having acted out of his own political calculations, not in the interest of the governing coalition. With his arbitrary behavior Salvini undermined the work of the government. Repeatedly, the Lega boss has proved lack of respect for democratic rules.
The interior minister had only „his own interests and that of his party,“ the Lega pursued. Salvini has exposed Italy with „serious risks“. „Driving people to vote each year is irresponsible,“ Conte said. With his decision to file a motion of censure against him, Salvini interrupts a government work that has achieved several noteworthy results in 14 months. Conte also warned of the consequences of the government crisis for Italy in a delicate economic phase.
Italy does not need politicians „with powers“, as Salvini demands, but people with a sense of responsibility and an understanding of the institutions. Again and again, Conte Salvini accused of lack of cooperation. Salvini defended himself on Tuesday: „I would do it the same way again, with the great strength of a free man.“ He does not need a „series of insults“ from a prime minister.
Ball is at Mattarella
The coalition came to power in June last year. The right-wing populist Lega Salvinis and the populist five-star movement under Luigi Di Maio had teamed up and put the party-free Conte at the head of the government. Di Maio and Salvini were both vice premiers.
Now the fate of the country is once again in the hands of President Mattarella, who must decide on the next steps. It does not necessarily have to come to a new election, it could also give a change of government. Mattarella could explore a possible majority in talks with the parties.
In the run-up to Contes’s speech, speculation had been made as to whether the PM could remain in office and lead a transitional government without the Lega to pass the parliamentary reform demanded by the Five-Star Movement and pass the budget law. The social democrats (Partito Democratico – PD) were among the other people to be discussed. But both the Five Stars and the PD have split opinions.
Lega in surveys far ahead
Two weeks ago, Salvini had blown up the coalition to achieve a quick new election. Because of the tough anti-migration course, the Lega is in the polls far ahead. Even at the European elections in May, they reached with more than 34 percent a record result. The five stars, however, crashed. The break of the coalition was the provisional conclusion of months of disputes between the two parties on various topics, but especially on the planned high-speed road (TAV) between the French Lyon and Turin. Salvinis Lega is for the billions project, the five stars are strictly against it. Conte had doubts, but most recently he felt it was more expensive not to build the high-speed line than to finish it.
Salvini, however, began unofficially weeks ago his election campaign and repeatedly demanded a new election. „Anyone who is afraid of a new election is really afraid of losing their parliamentary chair,“ says Salvini. Shortly before Contes declaration the Lega boss also promised big tax cuts. „The Lega is planning a budget for the year 2020 with measures in the order of 50 billion euros,“ Salvini said in an interview with the radio station Radio 24.
financial problems
Italy’s economy is down. The country has one of the highest government debt in the world, at around € 2.3 trillion. The debt ratio – ie the ratio of government debt to economic power – was more than 132 percent in 2018, making it the second highest in the 28 states of the European Union behind Greece.
This is also the subject of a regular dispute between Rome and the European Commission over violations of the criteria for monetary union. It was only in July that the Commission decided not to push ahead with sanctions for the time being. However, it is a sword of Damocles hanging over Italy. An excessive deficit procedure could severely affect Italy. And the time is pressing for a solution to the crisis in Rome. By the end of the year, the budget law for 2020 must be adopted.
