Government crisis in Italy: Five stars stop negotiations with Social Democrats

In the search for a new government in Italy, the negotiating parties are running out of time. The populist five-star movement suspended talks with opposition Social Democrats (PDs) over the formation of a new government and threatened to break off negotiations.

If the Social Democrats did not agree with Giuseppe Conte as head of government, there would be no more meetings, said the protest party.

After a four-hour meeting on Monday evening, no progress has been made. The Social Democrats would only talk about posts and not about topics. "You can not work like that, they either change their attitude (PD) or it gets difficult," said the Five Star Movement.

The stars and right-wing government of Interior Minister Matteo Salvini finally broke up last week. The non-party Conte had submitted his resignation. Now the stars negotiate with the Social Democrats about an alliance. Salvinis Lega is ahead in recent polls.

Zingaretti from the Social Democrats was optimistic

President Sergio Mattarella will hold consultations again with all the parties represented in parliament by Wednesday evening. Then he has to decide if there will be an alternative government or a new election will be necessary. Mattarella really wants to prevent new elections.

Unlike the stars, the Social Democrats expressed themselves after the negotiation marathon. "A definite decision has not yet been made, but since last night it looks like it could actually come to a joint government," said the PD Senator Laura Garavini, member of the party's party executive committee, the RBB Inforadio. Party leader Nicola Zingaretti had previously said: "I am optimistic that it is possible to come to an agreement."