Salvini’s Top Adviser Pushes for Italian Snap Election: Corriere
Salvini’s Top Adviser Pushes for Italian Snap Election: Corriere
(Bloomberg) -- Giancarlo Giorgetti, one of Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini’s closest advisers, is pushing for his League party to pull the plug on the ruling coalition, according to a report in Il Corriere della Sera.
A vote in parliament on Aug. 6 could show a lack of confidence in the government of the League and the anti-establishment Five Star Movement, which would force it to dissolve, the newspaper reported without citing anyone.
Giorgetti, who’s also cabinet undersecretary, is working on a “secret plan” for calling snap elections by February after a minority government has passed a new budget in the fall, Il Corriere reported. Under Giorgetti’s scenario, the League won’t support the interim government but it won’t oppose the approval of the budget.
Giorgetti has long expressed his discontent with the tie-up between his party and Luigi Di Maio’s Five Star. But despite the many conflicts between the two populist groups, Salvini has opted to remain in the 14-month-old coalition. According to the report, Salvini still hasn’t decided whether or not to follow his adviser’s suggestions.
Campaign Pledges
Salvini came close to abandoning the government just last week, senior League advisers said. Every time he threatened to leave, he got something in return. In this latest round, it was support for a high-speed Alpine rail link with France he’s long wanted.
The reason Salvini blinked was because he believes he can fulfill his campaign pledges, including greater regional autonomy and tax cuts, and propel the League beyond the 34% it won in May’s European parliamentary elections, according to advisers and lawmakers briefed on his strategy.
His ultimate goal is to secure the premiership without the need for allies, League officials had said. Giorgetti’s plan is for the League to run alone in the elections, Corriere reported.
To contact the reporter on this story: Tommaso Ebhardt in Milan at tebhardt@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Chad Thomas at cthomas16@bloomberg.net, Richard Bravo, Flavia Krause-Jackson
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