Daily Mirror

Italy election chaos as two parties claim right the rule

- BY JASON BEATTIE Head of Politics

ITALY is in limbo after two populist parties claimed the right to rule following general election gains.

The Five Star Movement topped the poll with 32.6% of the vote.

But the euroscepti­c League party surged to 17.4%, overtaking media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi’s right-wing Forza Italia on 14%.

Both Five Star and the League said they would battle to take control, setting the scene for weeks of horsetradi­ng to form a coalition. Former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s left-leaning Democratic Party got just 18.7% in Sunday’s election. League leader Matteo Salvini, 44, declared: “We have the right and duty to govern.” Minutes later, Five Star’s Luigi Di Maio, 31, said: “We feel responsibi­lity to give Italy a government.” Formal coalition talks will not start until April.

 ??  ?? FOURTH Ex-PM Silvio Berlusconi
FOURTH Ex-PM Silvio Berlusconi

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom