Berlusconi urges deal:

Former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi branded the 5-Star Movement a danger for Italy on Friday, killing off any lingering chance of a coalition tie-up between his rightist bloc and the anti-establishment party.

Berlusconi and his allies, including the far-right League, won the most seats in last month’s national election, while the 5-Star emerged as the largest single party.

However, both sides fell well short of an absolute majority and efforts by the Italian president to put together a new government have made little progress, with multiple vetoes put forward by various parties making his task almost impossible.

Latest efforts to overcome the impasse this week appeared to make no headway, and President Sergio Mattarella’s office said the head of state would consider the situation over the weekend before deciding what to do next.

5-Star, which promises a crusade against entrenched corruption, has said it is willing to join forces with the League, but not Berlusconi, whose long political career has been dogged by graft and sex scandals.

Earlier this week, media tycoon Berlusconi said he would have no problem working with 5-Star, but on Friday he angrily slammed the anti-system party and urged his allies to reconsider their refusal to seek a pact with the defeated centre-left. (RTRS)