Infighting within Guiseppe Conte’s hodge-podge coalition is delaying a €55bn coronavirus stimulus package
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. Picture: REUTERS/REMO CASILLI
Conte, who heads a coalition of the anti-establishment Five Star Movement, the centre-left Democratic Party and smaller parties, has come under political attack as he’s begun gradually lifting Italy’s stringent nationwide lockdown imposed to halt the spread of the coronavirus. The Rome government forecasts that the economy will shrink 8% this year, while Bloomberg Economics sees a 13% contraction.The tensions have triggered media speculation about the coalition’s stability, with many suggesting the possibility of a government of “national unity” led by a well-known figure such as former European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi.
President Sergio Mattarella sees early elections as the only alternative if Conte falls, because no alternative majority with a credible programme is possible, according to officials who asked not to be named discussing a confidential issue.
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