Italian President Sergio Mattarella addresses journalists after consultations with political parties, on May 7, 2018 at the Quirinale palace in Rome. AFP / Andreas SOLARO
ROME: Italy's anti-establishment 5-Star Movement and the populist, right-wing League are giving one more shot at trying to form a government, announcing last-ditch talks Wednesday to stave off the advance of a "neutral" government proposal.
The two big winners in the inconclusive March 4 election asked President Sergio Mattarella for another 24 hours to continue negotiations, a statement from Mattarella's office said.
"I'll have something to say in 24 hours," League leader Matteo Salvini was quoted by news agencies as saying.
Mattarella on Monday proposed a "neutral" government to lead Italy through the end of the year after nearly two months of consultations failed to produce an alliance that could win a parliamentary majority.
Mattarella had argued that Italy can't wait any longer for a government, given upcoming EU obligations, and that a new round of elections before 2019 wasn't in anyone's interest and could expose Italy to dangerous financial speculation.
The 5-Stars and the League rejected his proposal, warning they would rather go to new elections as soon as July rather than turn over the government to "neutral" technocrats when Italians had clearly voted for change.
The March 4 vote gave the League-led center-right coalition 37 percent and the 5-Stars 32 percent. The ruling Democratic Party received its worst result in history with 19 percent.
The 5-Stars and the League had been in talks on trying to form an alliance, but were stymied by the 5-Stars' refusal to accept ex-Premier Silvio Berlusconi's forces in any government. The 5-Stars consider Forza Italia part of the establishment politics it abhors.
League leader Salvini, however, refused to break with Berlusconi, who in each of his three previous governments had included the League as a junior partner.
