Italian president Sergio Mattarella has asked Carlo Cottarelli, a former official of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), to form a new government.
The president’s move came hours after he blocked the formation of a government supported by two euroskeptic parties (5 Star Movement and the League).
“I’ll present myself to parliament with a program which – if it wins the backing of parliament – would include the approval of the 2019 budget. Then parliament would be dissolved with elections at the beginning of 2019,” said Cottarelli, according to Reuters.
The PM-designate added that if the government doesn’t get the backing of MPs, it would resign and handle only ordinary affairs until elections are held after August.