Italian goverment crisis 

The Italian government is set to be thrown into crisis on Thursday when the Five Star Movement (M5S) plan to boycott a crucial vote – leading to calls for early elections. 

The Italian parliament will vote in a confidence vote that covers a €26 billion cost of living aid package – which will help Italians with the soaring energy bills and rising inflation. 

But Giuseppe Conte – leader of M5S, has said his party will not take part in the vote. It’s a move that could collapse the coalition government headed by Prime Minister Mario Draghi. 

Other coalition parties have warned they will quit the government if M5S boycotts the vote in the Senate and the PM announced this week he would resign if M5S quits the coalition. 

Conte announced late Wednesday that the party would not support the confidence motion, saying the government should be doing more to tackle growing social problems in the country. 

“I have a strong fear that September will be a time when many families will face the terrible choice of paying their electricity bill or buying food

“I have a strong fear that September will be a time when many families will face the terrible choice of paying their electricity bill or buying food,” he said, referring to a sharp spike in energy costs.

He added the party is still willing to engage in further discussions. 

“We are absolutely willing to dialogue, to make our constructive contribution to the government, to Draghi, (but) we are not willing to write a blank cheque,” he said.

• Italy’s government on the brink as 5-Star threatens to boycott confidence vote

The M5S has lost substantial support since it won the biggest share of the vote in the 2018 elections – but remains the largest party in parliament. 

M5S has faced turmoil over the past few weeks as foreign minister Luigi di Maio left the movement to found a breakaway party. He took a quarter of M5S MPs with him.

It has been reported that Conte gave Draghi a list of demands that the M5S want the government to agree to implement, including the introduction of a minimum wage.

The prime minister said the government’s objectives aligned with many of Five Star’s objectives, but that the government would not bend to ultimatums. 

If M5S leaves the government, then there should be immediate elections according to opposition parties.

Two coalition parties, the rightist League and the centre-left Democratic Party (PD), have said early elections were the most likely outcome if the government collapses. 

“If a coalition party doesn’t back a government decree that’s it, enough is enough, it seems clear that we should go to elections,” said League leader Matteo Salvini. 

Five Star Party split rocks Italian government  

In June, FM Di Maio announced he was leaving the Five Star Movement – a party he once led due to its “ambiguity” over Italy’s support of Ukraine following Russia’s invasion. 

He went on to accuse leader Giuseppe Conte of undermining the coalition government’s efforts to support Ukraine and weakening Italy’s position within the EU. 

“Today’s is a difficult decision I never imagined I would have to take … but today I and lots of other colleagues and friends are leaving the Five Star Movement,” Di Maio told a press conference.

“We are leaving what tomorrow will no longer be the first political force in parliament.”

His announcement that he would be leaving, and taking a quarter of M5S MPs with him came after months of tensions within the party. 

The split has threatened to bring instability to the coalition government – with formed in February 2021 after a political crisis toppled the previous coalition.

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Italy stance on Russian invasion of Ukraine  

Italy has historically had strong political and economic ties with Russia. But the Italian government have firmly taken a pro-NATO stance regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Italian government has sent weapons and money to help Ukraine and has supported EU sanctions against Russia.

The former foreign minister Di Maio backed Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s support for Ukraine, including sending weapons to Ukraine so the country can defend itself. 

It was this support that created conflict with the head of Five Star Giuseppe Conte – who says Italy should be focused on a diplomatic solution. 

Di Maio attacked his former party without naming Conte, saying: “In these months, the main political force in parliament had the duty to support the diplomacy of the government and avoid ambiguity. But this was not the case,” he said.

“In this historic moment, support of European and Atlanticist values cannot be a mistake,” he added.

Di Maio said the M5S had risked the stability of government “just to try to regain a few percentage points, without even succeeding”.

However, a majority of lawmakers including from M5S backed 

Draghi’s approach in March and again in a Senate vote in June. 

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‘The end of the Five Star Movement’ 

They stormed to power in the 2018 general election – winning a third of the vote on an anti-establishment ticket but now the party is fighting for relevance. 

M5S once threatened to upend the political order in Italy but defections, policy U-turns and poor polls have left them struggling for relevance. 

The movement has also struggled to establish a clear identity for itself.

“Today ends the story of the Five Star Movement,” tweeted former premier Matteo Renzi, who brought down the last Conte government by withdrawing his support.