Rome May 28 (IANS) Italian Prime Minister-designate Giuseppe Conte has failed to form a coalition government and resigned after President Sergio Mattarella vetoed his choice of economy minister.
Conte and Mattarella had met on Sunday to discuss officials selected by the anti-establishment 5 Star Movement and the rightist League to comprise the new government cabinet for Italy which has been without a government for 84 days reports Efe news.
The coalition had wanted to place 81-year-old economist Paolo Savona in charge of Italy s economy although the former industry minister has been a key figure in questioning Italy s participation in the eurozone and the budgetary restrictions the European Union requires of its members.
Mattarella expressed his doubts about Savona although the 5 Star Movement and the League refused to back down from their choice thus creating a standoff given that Italy s president must approve a government s ministerial picks.
Mattarella ultimately refused to back the so-called "euroskeptic" for the economy portfolio.
In response the 5 Star Movement chief Luigi di Maio announced that the party will launch within Parliament a move to oust Mattarella for having impeded the formation of the government by vetoing Savona and refusing to sign the list of ministers presented by the coalition.
Mattarella s decision sparked an unprecedented institutional crisis with strong opposition being mounted by the 5 Star Movement and the League which garnered more than 50 per cent of the votes in the March 4 national elections.
Other political forces however citing his constitutional presidential prerogatives to protect Italian markets and savers have rallied to Mattarella s defence.
Conte a law professor who had been named as the coalition s prime minister resigned telling reporters that he "gave the maximum effort attention to carry out this task with the full collaboration" of both the 5 Star Movement and League.

--IANS ksk