League leader Matteo Salvini said Friday that there were no rifts within the centre-right coalition ahead of consultations with President Sergio Mattarella on the formation of a new government. "There is total agreement with (Silvio Berlusconi's) Forza Italia and harmony on programme and intentions," Salvini said in a statement. The combined centre-right alliance came first in this month's general election with around 37% of the vote and Salvini's Euroskeptic, anti-migrant League is the top party within the coalition.
The bloc came up short, however, of winning a majority in parliament.
Earlier this week Salvini suggested he was open to talking to the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S), the biggest single party in the new parliament with over 32% of the vote, on forming a new government but Berlusconi poured cold water on the idea.
"As the leader of the centre right I speak and act in the name of all the allies," Salvini said.
"We are working with them on a government team and programme, while I see that elsewhere it is not the same.
"The (centre-left Democratic Party) PD argue among themselves and the M5S don't know what they want to do.
"We continue on our road. We want to make parliament operative as soon as possible.
"We await Mattarella's call up".
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