Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini called for fresh elections ‘as soon as possible’ while speaking to the press in Rome on Monday, just days after his League party issued a motion of no confidence in Giuseppe Conte’s government, which Salvini’s party is a part of.
“The only thing that Italy cannot afford is to waste time and anyone who is wasting time is doing so because they are afraid of losing their seat… whoever is afraid of the elections is because he clearly has worked badly and is afraid of not returning to parliament,” Salvini said.
“We ask that we vote as soon as possible, then the Italians will choose a government that governs and does so for five years,” the Deputy PM added.
Italy’s Senate will convene on Tuesday to set a date for the no-confidence vote. Salvini’s party reportedly wants the vote to go forward within the week, while the Five Star movement and Democratic party prefer the vote to take place on August 20.
On 8 August Salvini called for new elections saying the coalition government was not working. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte accused the Interior Minister of fabricating “the most transparent [political crisis] in Republican history.”
Despite being the junior party in the coalition, the League is well ahead in opinion polls, largely due to its opposition towards immigration. However, many Italians dislike the League for its populist views.