The two largest parties in Italy’s parliament, the far-right League and the anti-establishment 5Star Movement, have signaled they could support former European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi as the head of a new government.
Draghi took up the mission to form a government on Wednesday from President Sergio Mattarella after the previous coalition collapsed over differences regarding Italy’s post-pandemic recovery plan and talks to reestablish it failed.
The 5Stars initially rejected the idea of a technocratic government under Draghi, but on Saturday gave conditional support based on a long list of policy demands, Reuters reported.
“We said we were open to considering whether the conditions are right to join a government, we will decide above all on the basis of the policies,” leader Vito Crimi told reporters after meeting Draghi.
The League, which had first called for snap elections — an option Mattarella sought to avoid given the pandemic — also expressed conditional backing.
Its leader Matteo Salvini said the party was ready to join a government “that goes to Brussels keeping its head high in the name of the national interest.”
Draghi will hold more talks with political parties next week. The center-left Democratic Party and Italia Viva as well as Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia indicated they were ready to back him.
Italy has to present its recovery plan to Brussels in April for approval.