Ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi's conservative Forza Italia will not vote confidence in the new government being forged between its ally the far-right League and the populist Five-Star Movement but may back individual items of legislation, the party's parliamentary chief whip said on Thursday.
"We won't back a confidence vote on the future Five-Star-League government but will consider voting for certain pieces legislation submitted to the parliament," Mariastella Gelmini told reporters.
Berlusconi on Wednesday said he would not oppose a Five-Star-League government after more than two months of political deadlock since Italy's inconclusive 4 March polls. His move removed the chief obstacle to a tie-up between Five-Star and the League - who together have a comfortable parliamentary majority.
Efforts on the tie-up had previously been thwarted by Five Star leader Luigi Di Maio’s demand that League head Matteo Salvini drop his veteran ally Berlusconi, who has a tax fraud conviction and is on trial for bribery.
"The best solution would have been a government led by the centre-right coalition. As this was not possible, once again we (Forza Italia) acted in the interests of the country," Gelmini claimed.
Salvini became leader of the centre-right alliance after his League party outperformed Forza Italia in the national election in which rightwing and populist parties made strong gains.
Five-Star is the biggest parliamentary party in the hung parliament while the centre-right is the largest parliamentary bloc.
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