The government of Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte is no longer assured of a majority in parliament following the resignation of two ministers from a small party in the ruling coalition.
The leader of Italia Viva, the former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, announced during a press conference at the end of the afternoon the resignation of the two ministers of his party: Teresa Bellanova (Agriculture) and Elena Bonetti ( Family).
Without the 18 senators of Italia Viva, the government of Giuseppe Conte would need new support in the Senate.
On the other hand, its majority is however sufficiently large in the Chamber of Deputies.
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Matteo Renzi criticizes Giuseppe Conte for his management, considered solitary of the pandemic, but also for his plan to spend the more than 200 billion euros that the European Union must grant to Italy as part of its mega recovery plan.
A new version of this plan was adopted Tuesday evening in the Council of Ministers, but the two ministers of Italia Viva abstained.
“We will not allow anyone to have full powers.
This means that the habit of governing with decree-laws which are transformed into other decree-laws […] represents for us an infringement of the rules of the game. We demand respect for democratic rules, ”said Matteo Renzi.
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"We have no prejudices either on the names, or on the formulas," added the former head of government, thus appearing to be open to a new government led by Giuseppe Conte.
However, he ruled out any support for the right-wing opposition, and in particular for Matteo Salvini's (far right) League.
"We will never give life to a government with the forces of the sovereignist right that we fought," assured Matteo Renzi.
