Premier Giuseppe Conte's government
remains on the brink of crisis even though his cabinet on
Tuesday approved its Recovery Plan, which had been a source of
tension within the executive for weeks.
Ex-premier Matteo Renzi's Italia Viva (IV) party is close to
pulling its support for the coalition government and triggering
the crisis.
IV's two cabinet members, Agriculture Minister Teresa Bellanova
and Family and Equal Opportunities Minister Elena Bonetti,
abstained when cabinet voted on the plan on how to spend the
over 200 billion euros Italy is set to get from the EU's
COVID-19 Recovery Fund.
Renzi is set to give a press conference later on Wednesday.
Renzi had blasted the Recovery Plan as lacking ambition.
IV has also complained about the government's failure to take
cash from the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) to invest in
the national health system, which has been pushed to the limit
by the coronavirus emergency.
The biggest party in the coalition, the 5-Star Movement (M5S),
is against taking money from the EU's bailout fund out of fears
it would come with strings attached further down the line.
It is uncertain what an eventual government crisis would lead
to.
There is speculation Conte could resign and form what would be
his third government after a cabinet reshuffle, with the premier
being flanked by deputy premiers from the parties supporting the
executive.
But this executive may not have enough parliamentary support
without IV, especially in the Senate.
Conte's first government, which lasted from June 2018 until
August 2019, was backed by the M5S and Matteo Salvini's
right-wing League party.
The current government is supported by the left-wing LeU group
and the centre-left Democratic Party (PD), in addition to IV and
the M5S.
It is possible that early elections will be necessary.
Conte would find it "impossible" to form a new executive with
Renzi's IV party if it causes a "government crisis in the full
swing of a pandemic" premier's office sources said Tuesday.
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