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Bloomberg
Attempts to avoid a snap election in Italy are now riding on the future of caretaker Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, as a deadline to reach a deal nears.
Whether or not Conte stays in his job to lead a new alliance has become the main sticking point in talks between the anti-establishment Five Star Movement and the center-left Democratic Party, or PD, according to two PD officials who asked not to be named discussing a confidential matter.
President Sergio Mattarella has given the long-time enemies time to try to forge a new pact until he holds a second round of consultations with leaders.
If Five Star and the Democrats fail, that could trigger snap elections possibly in November, or a government reshuffle if Five Star and its current coalition partner, the rightist League, patch up their differences.
At stake: months of political uncertainty at a time of stagnation for Europe’s third-largest economy, with possible new tensions with the European Union over budget plans which have to be drawn up in the fall and approved by the Rome-based parliament by the end of the year. Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini of the League pulled the plug on the populist government earlier this month.