Berlusconi pledges to back League's Salvini as Italy's next PM

Silvio Berlusconi wipes the sweat off League leader Matteo Salvini
Silvio Berlusconi wipes the sweat off League leader Matteo Salvini Copyright REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi
By Euronews with Reuters, AP
Share this articleComments
Share this articleClose Button
Copy/paste the article video embed link below:Copy to clipboardCopied

"I'm happy for Matteo Salvini and the League," the 81-year-old former prime minister said in a video message.

ADVERTISEMENT

Silvio Berlusconi will support the leader of Italy's eurosceptic partner the League in attempts to form a government, the former prime minister said in a newspaper interview on Wednesday.

In a personal defeat for Berlusconi, the far-right League surpassed his Forza Italia party in Sunday's elections, winning about 17 percent of the vote to 14 percent for Forza Italia.

The four parties in the centre-right coalition agreed during the campaign that the leader of the party that won the most votes would head a government.

"In full respect of our agreements, we will now loyally support attempts by (Matteo) Salvini to form a government," Berlusconi told Corriere della Sera.

Berlusconi said on Tuesday (March 6) that the centre-right coalition must receive a mandate to govern after winning the most seats at Sunday’s election.

"I am happy for Matteo Salvini and the League," the 81 year-old said in a video message.

"I confirm that ... I remain Forza Italia’s leader, I will be the coordinator of the centre-right, I will be the guarantor for the unity of the coalition."

It was the first statement he made since the election.

The vote produced a hung parliament and talks to form a government will take weeks, possibly months.

The League and the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement both say the president should name their own leaders as prime minister.

Share this articleComments

You might also like

Italy’s Giorgia Meloni opens Africa summit with plan to curb migration and boost development

Italian opposition demands investigation after hundreds give fascist salute

NeverEnding Story: Elon Musk invited to Giorgia Meloni's Italian fantasy party