Italian coalition talks continue

Press, 14 August 1982, Page 8

Italian coalition talks continue

NZPA-Reuter Rome The Italian Prime Minis-ter-designate (Mr Giovanni Spadolini) is to hold a second round of talks aimed at forming a new and more stable coalition government. This is despite an initial

rebuff by the Socialists. The Socialists withdrew from Mr Spadolini’s 13 month-old government last week, precipitating the current crisis, and Mr Spadolini was then given a mandate by President Sandro Pertini to try to form Italy’s 42nd postwar government.

His initial proposal for a renewal of the old coalition was turned down by Bettino Craxi, the Socialist Party leader.

Mr Spadolini. aged 56, said

that the first round of consultations with political parties showed universal support for" strengthening the government executive through the 8 office of Prime Minister. ,

He said that decisions taken by his five-party coalition had continually been torpedoed in Parliament, including the secret ballot on a financial measure which fin-. ally brought the government down last week. All parties were, agreed that institutional! reform of the way Italy is governed was an essential task for the next administration. On Mr Spadolini’s schedule is a round of informal talks, probably with the five parties of his outgoing centreleft coalition, to see whether a joint platform can still be built at this late stage. But Mr Craxi said that his Socialist Party was not inclined to accept an invitation to join the same coalition from which it withdrew last week. .

Mr Craxi’s statement strengthened the likelihood ' that ’President Pertini ■ will have to dissolve Parliament and call an early general election against his will.