Italy's top diplomat Luigi Di Maio on Friday called for "a sense of responsibility" after president Sergio Mattarella tasked a parliament leader with finding out in four days of talks if a new ruling coalition can form after caretaker premier Giuseppe Conte's government collapsed.
"All the best to lower house of parliament speaker, Roberto Fico," Di Maio wrote on Facebook.
Mattarella has asked Fico to confirm if there is "a solid majority" for the rebirth of a coalition made up of the same parties as the last one, which can lead Italy through the pandemic and revive its COVID-ravaged economy.
"It is to be hoped that a strong sense of responsibility prevails on all sides. Full support for Giuseppe Conte," wrote Di Maio, who belongs to the populist 5Star Movement from which Fico also hails.
Fico "will be a reference point at this very delicate moment, who will favour dialogue leading to the formation of a new government," Di Maio continued. Like Di Maio, Fico is a prominent figure in the 5Star Movement, the largest party in the three consecutive coalitions led by Conte since 2018.
Mattarella did not state whether Conte should head such a reborn coalition, should Fico report back that it has the numbers to govern.
Conte resigned on Monday after his government lost its majority in the upper house Senate when the smallest party in the coalition - the centre-left Italy Alive - withdrew its ministers over differences on how Italy's 209 billion euro share of European recovery funds should be spent.
Earlier on Friday, 5Star political leaders said that if the two parties can agree on policy, 5Star would consider governing again with Italy Alive, which is led by volatile ex-premier Matteo Renzi.
