Italy’s Five-Star Movement Chooses the Pro-Euro, Anti-Infrastructure Camp

FROM EIR DAILY ALERT

Italy’s Five-Star Movement Chooses the Pro-Euro, Anti-Infrastructure Camp

April 7, 2018 (EIRNS)—A shift in the Italian political crisis occurred yesterday, when the Five Star Movement (M5S) proposed a government alliance with the Democratic Party (PD). Thus, the M5S chose the pro-euro, pro-establishment camp. The PD is still against the M5S positions, but it may flip, as Germany’s SPD flipped, under pressure from the EU, the European Central Bank, and the governments in Paris and Berlin.

According to a well-placed source in Rome, the Italian political crisis will come up with a temporary solution for a government led by neither of the two aspirants for Prime Minister, Luigi Di Maio (M5S) and Matteo Salvini (Lega, center-right). Such a government shall last until the European elections next year, so that national early elections can be held the same day as the European vote in late May 2019.

Such a government will nevertheless adopt the “virulent” opposition to strategic infrastructure displayed by the M5S, so that there will be a “dreadful block on infrastructure investments.” “Every cent will be used to make handouts, as per the M5S program,” the source said.

Nevertheless, some forces will try to keep the pro-African momentum created at the Lake Chad conference in Abuja. In June, there will be a two-day, high-level international conference on Africa, where large projects should be presented, including the Transaqua project to refill Lake Chad.