ROME: Anti-establishment and far-right parties began haggling over who will be Italy’s next prime minister after publishing a joint policy programme on Friday that brought the eurozone’s third largest economy a step closer to a populist government.The political deadlock brought about by March’s inconclusive elections neared its end after the plan’s unveiling by the Five Star Movement and the far-right League party. The programme promises the end of post-crisis austerity measures and seeks deep change in relations with the European Union.Five Star members have until Friday evening to vote online on whether to approve the programme, while the League will offer a vote to anyone who visits the party stands which are to be put up across the country over the weekend.With voter approval little more than a formality, all eyes were on who the two parties would choose as their candidate for prime minister.They needed to announce a name in time for a meeting on Monday with President Sergio Mattarella.Mattarella must agree to the parties’ nominee before they can seek parliament’s approval for their nascent government.Both Five Star leader Di Maio and Salvini have remained tight-lipped on the future prime minister as they hashed out their 58-page “Contract for the Government of Change”.Having said on Thursday evening that naming a PM would “not be a problem”, on Friday Di Maio suggested that he could be one of the candidates. “I don’t know if I will end up being prime minister, but our real leader, the programme, will govern this country,” Di Maio said in a Facebook message.While an exit from the single currency — mooted in leaked drafts of the document — is no longer proposed, the document announced the parties’ intention to review “with European partners the economic governance framework” of the EU, including the euro.The parties want a monetary union that is “appropriate for the current geopolitical and economic imbalances and consistent with the objectives of the economic union”, it said.The document featured a number of manifesto promises from the League. These included hardline immigration and security proposals, pension reform and a plan to have just two tax rates, of 15 and 20 percent. The programme proposed that Italy and the EU implement bilateral agreements with other countries in order to speed up the repatriation of illegal immigrants. The programme also pledged to close all “illegal” Roma camps, set up a register of imams and immediately shut down “radical Islamic associations”.
05-19-2018, 06:01 PM
Italy awaits PM nominee after populists unveil govt programme
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