Italian PM says he will QUIT after his right-wing coalition partners led by Matteo Salvini withdrew their support
- Giuseppe Conte told Italian senate he will resign Tuesday as coalition collapses
- It comes after Matteo Salvini, leader of the League party, withdrew his support
- Salvini had clashed with Conte and fellow coalition partner Luigi Di Mao over migrant ships after he blocked one – the Open Arms – from landing at Lampedusa
- Resignation paves the way for fresh elections, which Salvini has been calling for
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said he will resign Tuesday after League leader Matteo Salvini pulled his support for the coalition government.
Conte told senators in Rome that he will hand his resignation President Sergio Mattarella as soon as the session ends, before attacking Salvini as an ‘irresponsible… opportunist’ who is ‘only looking after his own interests and those of his party’.
The move, which comes after coalition partners rowed over migrant ships docking in Lampedusa, could potentially trigger a general election as soon as October.
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte (right) will resign today after Matteo Salvini (left), leader of the right-wing League party, withdrew his support for the coalition government
Conte’s resignation could trigger fresh general elections as soon as October, which Salvini (pictured) has been calling for after polls showed his party surging in support
Mr Mattarella, as head of state, could ask Mr Conte to stay on and try to find an alternative majority in parliament, or accept his resignation and see if another leader can forge an alternative coalition.
Failing that, the president could dissolve parliament, setting the stage for a new general election as early as October.
Salvini, who has been governing in coalition with the Five Star Movement since June 2018, has been calling for fresh elections in recent weeks after polls showed his League party gaining support.
The party finished in second place in the 2018 general election, behind his coalition partner Five Star Movement – but new polls show he would now finish in front.
Conte, a law professor with no previous political experience until he became Prime Minister, said the prospect of Salvini taking over as Prime Minister is ‘worrying’.
Conte will now present his resignation to President Sergio Mattarella, who can either order him to stay and find an alternative majority in parliament, or accept and see if another leader can forge an alternative coalition (pictured, protesters in Rome)
A protester in Rome holds a sign which reads: ‘Conte is a gentleman… who can honour us in the world more than him? Nobody!!!’
Members of Salvini’s League – or Lega – party march through the streets of Rome calling for him to be made premier of Italy
Salvini, whose party ran on an anti-immigration ticket, triggered the current crisis when he refused to let migrant ship Open Arms dock at Lampedusa.
The ship, which is operated by charity Proactiva Open Arms, was instead ordered to moor off shore, where it has been sitting for 19 days.
Since then 10 migrants have jumped overboard in an attempt to swim to shore.
Moments before Conte gave his speech, Spain agreed to send a military vessel to escort the Open Arms to Palma, Mallorca, where the migrants could be offloaded.
Salvini had threatened to hold a no-confidence vote in Conte over the issue, before the professor hit back – branding him disloyal and ‘obsessed’ with migrant boats.
Conte’s resignation heads off the possibility of a confidence vote.