European Interest

EGP: Italy’s new coalition must prove its credentials beyond ousting Salvini

Flickr/European Parliament/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Giuseppe Conte will attempt to form a new coalition government.

Giuseppe Conte was entrusted today by President Sergio Mattarella of the task of attempting to form a new government, after the collapse of the League and Five Star Movement triggered by the withdrawal of Matteo Salvini’s far-right League party.

The new coalition will include the Five Star Movement, the Democratic Party (PD) and Free and Equal (LeU).

“We welcome the attempt to form a new government which relegates the former Interior Minister Matteo Salvini and the League into the opposition. We also welcome calls to prioritise climate and sustainability issues with concrete proposals. But we are also aware that most of the controversial positions taken by the former government, notably on migration, on the environment and European integration were also shared by the Five Star Movement.  The Democratic Party also does not share the radical climate, energy, migration and social measures needed to guarantee ecological transformation and democratic stability in Italy and Europe,” said the co-chairs of the European Green Party Monica Frassoni and Reinhard Bütikofer reacting to the development.

“Italy must now slam the door on the former government era that has damaged Italy’s reputation worldwide and led to countless deaths at sea and embark on a new path as a key player in forging a greener future for Europe. In order to achieve this goal, both parties need to guarantee a credible discontinuity with their own former policies and open up towards new talent,” they added.

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