5-Star Movement (M5S) leader Giuseppe
Conte said Wednesday that the group was ready to continue to
support the government after 'clear-the-air' talks with Premier
Mario Draghi.
But ex-premier Conte also said there needed to be
"discontinuity," calling for interventions to help workers and
businesses via cuts to the labour-tax wedge.
Tension has been high since Conte reacted furiously to recent
reports, which Draghi denied, that the premier had asked for his
predecessor's ouster as M5S chief.
The friction has led to reports that the M5S could pull out of
Draghi's broad coalition government of national unity.
"We spoke to Draghi," Conte said.
"We handed him a document in the name of the M5S.
"We have accumulated a mass of strong political unease.
"We are willing to share the responsibility of government, as we
have done up to now in a loyal, constructive way, but a strong
signal of discontinuity is needed".
He added that the M5S would not allow the much-criticized
'citizenship-wage' benefit for the poor and jobless, a flagship
M5S measure that was brought in during the first of Conte's two
government's, to be "called into question".
Conte said Draghi would take some time to assess the M5S's
demands.
There has also been friction over the '110% Superbonus' scheme
to give rebates for renovation work to make buildings more
energy efficient, with the M5S insisting this must continue.
Draghi has expressed concerns about the cost of the measure and
the risk of it distorting prices in the construction sector.
The 'de-escalation' meeting had been set to take place on Monday
but was postponed due to the Marmolada glacier disaster.
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