Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte threatened on Monday to resign, telling his two coalition partners to either end their constant feuding or seek new elections.
Mr Conte, an academic with no political support base, called a news conference to make the extraordinary ultimatum after months of bickering inside his year-old coalition of right-wing populists and anti-establishment lawmakers.
"I'm not here just to scrape by or drift," Mr Conte told reporters at his residence. "If they do not clearly assume their responsibilities...then I will resign."
The League and 5-Star Movement have been battling over everything from major infrastructure projects and immigration to the historical significance of national holidays and who was to blame for a cruise ship accident in Venice at the weekend.
The feud has intensified since European parliamentary elections last month in which the League won 34 percent of the vote, leap-frogging above 5-Star and fuelling speculation that League leader Matteo Salvini could ditch his coalition partners.
Mr Salvini took to Twitter even as Mr Conte was talking, saying he wanted to carry on. "We are ready, we want to move forward and don't have any time to lose. The League is in," he tweeted.
There was no immediate response from 5-Star leader Luigi Di Maio, whose position has been weakened by the EU election rout, which saw 5-Star lose half its support in just over 12 months.
Mr Conte said he had underestimated the impact of non-stop electioneering this year ahead of the EU vote and that a week after the ballot the atmosphere remained bad.
Mr Conte told reporters his cabinet faced a complex 2020 budget and said Italy needed the confidence of financial markets.
During the recent government infighting, investors sold off Italian bonds, raising fears for Rome's ability to manage its enormous public debt of around 2.3 trillion euros (Dh9.5 trillion).
"We must not let sterile controversies and pointless arguments waste our precious energy or distract from government objectives," Mr Conte said.
Italy faces the possibility of European Union disciplinary procedures this week for a breach of EU fiscal rules, which Salvini says are outdated and harmful to the Italian economy.
Mr Conte said any EU sanctions would be very harmful, adding that the government had to abide by EU budget rules until such time as they could be changed. Repeated sniping from within coalition ranks only undermined his position, he said.
"All problems, even the thorniest, can be tackled, but a climate of co-operation and mutual help is needed. Without this, it is difficult to face such delicate challenges."
Since the EU election, Mr Salvini has demanded extreme tax cuts for Italy and dismissed EU calls for fiscal discipline.
Italian media reported on Monday that if Mr Conte could not restore order to his government, President Sergio Mattarella would probably dissolve parliament in July and set a new election for September.
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
What is hepatitis?
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, which can lead to fibrosis (scarring), cirrhosis or liver cancer.
There are 5 main hepatitis viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E.
Hepatitis C is mostly transmitted through exposure to infective blood. This can occur through blood transfusions, contaminated injections during medical procedures, and through injecting drugs. Sexual transmission is also possible, but is much less common.
People infected with hepatitis C experience few or no symptoms, meaning they can live with the virus for years without being diagnosed. This delay in treatment can increase the risk of significant liver damage.
There are an estimated 170 million carriers of Hepatitis C around the world.
The virus causes approximately 399,000 fatalities each year worldwide, according to WHO.
The%20specs
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
Profile
Company name: Jaib
Started: January 2018
Co-founders: Fouad Jeryes and Sinan Taifour
Based: Jordan
Sector: FinTech
Total transactions: over $800,000 since January, 2018
Investors in Jaib's mother company Alpha Apps: Aramex and 500 Startups
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Top 10 most polluted cities
- Bhiwadi, India
- Ghaziabad, India
- Hotan, China
- Delhi, India
- Jaunpur, India
- Faisalabad, Pakistan
- Noida, India
- Bahawalpur, Pakistan
- Peshawar, Pakistan
- Bagpat, India
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
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Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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MATCH INFO
AC Milan v Inter, Sunday, 6pm (UAE), match live on BeIN Sports
Pad Man
Dir: R Balki
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Radhika Apte
Three-and-a-half stars
Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More by Adrian Harte
Jawbone Press
Drishyam 2
Directed by: Jeethu Joseph
Starring: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba, Murali Gopy
Rating: 4 stars