MILAN (Reuters) - The leader of Italy's 5-Star Movement was quoted as saying on Friday the party's flagship proposal to slash the number of lawmakers could not wait - posing an apparent hurdle in talks to form a government with the rival Democratic Party (PD).
Asked whether the 5-Star Movement could consider reducing the number of MPs as part of a wider parliamentary reform as proposed by the PD, Di Maio told Corriere della Sera daily the cuts could not wait.
"The cut must be done now, it makes no sense to postpone it. For years we've heard politicians say we'll do it, we'll do it. It's time to do it now, not tomorrow. If there is a will it can be done now, it's already been tabled," he said.
(Reporting by Valentina Za, editing by Stephen Jewkes)