Italy president gives populists 24 hours to seek coalition

Bloomberg

Italy’s populists made a last-ditch effort to form a government together, asking President Sergio Mattarella to delay by 24 hours his plan to appoint a non-partisan premier.
Luigi Di Maio of the anti-establishment Five Star Movement and Matteo Salvini of the euroskeptic League met on Wednesday at the Rome parliament, according to two lawmakers who declined to be named discussing confidential talks. A senior League official confirmed in a text message that Salvini and Di Maio met.
The two parties notified Mattarella that “talks are under way to reach a possible government accord, and that to pursue this they need 24 hours,” the presidency said.
Mattarella granted the request, a senior state official said in a text message. Five Star has offered to govern with the League, which leads a center-right alliance, but has insisted on the League breaking with its junior ally, Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia party. Salvini has so far refused to break with ex-premier Berlusconi.
Mattarella had been expected to name the premier of what he calls “a neutral government” as early as Wednesday after political parties failed to agree on a ruling coalition in two months of negotiations since inconclusive March 4 general elections.
Di Maio told reporters earlier: “It’s not a veto on Berlusconi; it’s a wish to talk to the League. Full stop.” He said “we want to form a government with two political forces and not four,” in remarks cited by newswire Ansa.
Renato Brunetta, a senior lawmaker with Berlusconi’s Forza Italia, said the center-right alliance could be preserved even if the League and Five Star form a government without the ex-premier’s party.