Silvio Berlusconi, leader of Italy's conservative Forza Italia party on Friday said a return to the ballot box would be preferable to a coalition government between the populist Five-Star Movement and the far-right League.
"For sure, it is our absolute duty to hold new elections rather than have a government that is not a centre-right one, which does not have the numbers in parliament," said Berlusconi.
"Italians will hopefully have learned to vote better than they did this last time," Berlusconi said during a visit to Molise region ahead of regional elections there this weekend. "They voted very badly," he said.
Five-Star and the League made strong gains in Italy's inconclusive 4 March national ballot in which no party or bloc won a parliamentary majority and several rounds of talks on forming a coalition government have failed to break the post-election deadlock.
Earlier this week, Berlusconi signalled he could work with Five-Star but on Friday launched a scathing attack on the anti-establishment party and urged his allies including the League to consider a tie-up with the defeated centre-left.
"Five-Star are a danger for the country. It is not a democratic party, it is a party for the unemployed," said the billionaire media magnate and ex-premier.
"I would send them to clean the toilets," Berlusconi added.
Di Maio has refused to enter any government that includes Forza Italia, due to Berlusconi's tax fraud conviction and his current bribery trial - charges that Berlusconi denies.
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