Italy's PM-designate gives up on efforts to form a government

MILAN (Reuters) - Italy's Prime Minister-designate Giuseppe Conte has given up on efforts to form a government, a top official in President Sergio Mattarella's office said on Sunday.

The comments were read out following a meeting between Conte and Mattarella to discuss the list of cabinet candidates the would-be coalition partners, the far-right League and the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, were proposing.

Earlier on Sunday a source said Mattarella had rejected the name of Paolo Savona, the eurosceptic candidate whom the League/5-Star coalition had put forward to head the Economy Ministry.

(Reporting by Steve Scherer, writing by Stephen Jewkes; Editing by Richard Balmforth)