Italian Prime Minister Threatens To Resign If Government Coalition Rift Continues

Mohammad Ali (@ChaudhryMAli88) Published June 04, 2019 | 12:03 AM

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte called on the coalition government allies, the Five Star Movement (M5S) and the League, to answer whether they are ready to continue working within the current parliamentary majority and the composition of the Council of Ministers, and threatened to resign if their rift continues

ROME (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd June, 2019) Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte called on the coalition government allies, the Five Star Movement (M5S) and the League, to answer whether they are ready to continue working within the current parliamentary majority and the composition of the Council of Ministers, and threatened to resign if their rift continues.

The prospect of a government crisis in Italy was outlined after the elections to the European Parliament, in which the right-wing League, which is led by Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini and is a junior partner in the Italian coalition government, won 34 percent of the vote, twice as much as the M5S led by another Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio.

"I appeal to both political forces and relevant leaders to make a clear choice and to tell me, to tell us whether they intend to continue to fulfill the government contract or whether they prefer to reconsider their position, perhaps because they have the hope of a new vote to strengthen them or to revenge their defeat.

... If the actions of the M5S and the League are inconsistent and do not comply with constitutional procedures, I will return the mandate to the President of the Republic," he said at a special press conference.

Speaking about the consequences of the elections to the European Parliament, Conte said that the struggle had taken its toll on the government's work.

"We are experiencing the consequences of selective excitement, this climate is not helpful for government actions. If we continue to engage in provocations in the press, attacks in social networks, we will not be able to work. This inevitably harms the government," the prime minister said.

The task of the political forces is to make decisions, but the answer must be clear, unequivocal and quick because the country cannot wait, the prime minister concluded.