The Latest on political developments as Italy tries to form new government (all times local):
6 p.m.
The hard-line Italian interior minister Matteo Salvini is leaving the door open to a possible government reshuffle that could revive the collapsed coalition between his right-wing League party and the anti-establishment 5 Star Movement.
The League party leader Matteo Salvini talks to the press after meeting Italian President Sergio Mattarella, in Rome, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2019. President Sergio Mattarella continued receiving political leaders Thursday, to explore if a solid majority with staying power exists in Parliament for a new government that could win the required confidence vote. (AP PhotoAlessandra Tarantino)
But he still insists that early elections are his favored outcome to Italy's political crisis.
After meeting President Sergio Mattarella at the presidential palace on Thursday, Salvini hinted at a possible alternative to early elections. It appeared to be as a last-ditch attempt to revive the government alliance on which he pulled the plug only two weeks ago.
Salvini said to reporters: "I want to give the final word to people. But if someone wants to get the country moving again, we are ready to do so without prejudice," he added, in a clear reference to his former allies.
The League party leader Matteo Salvini leaves after meeting Italian President Sergio Mattarella, in Rome, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2019. President Sergio Mattarella continued receiving political leaders Thursday, to explore if a solid majority with staying power exists in Parliament for a new government that could win the required confidence vote. (AP PhotoAlessandra Tarantino)
Mattarella will complete a first round of talks Thursday with Italian parties to try to find a way out of the crisis. But he may provide them with more time to come up with possible alliances, as an alternative to early polls.
12 p.m.
Italy's opposition Democrats signaled their willingness Thursday to work with an archrival to cobble together a Europe-centric coalition solid enough to counter fast-rising nationalist leader Matteo Salvini and avoid an early election.
The League party leader Matteo Salvini leaves after meeting Italian President Sergio Mattarella, in Rome, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2019. President Sergio Mattarella continued receiving political leaders Thursday, to explore if a solid majority with staying power exists in Parliament for a new government that could win the required confidence vote. (AP PhotoAlessandra Tarantino)
Intent on triggering that early election, Salvini yanked his right-wing League party's support from Premier Giuseppe Conte's populist government, triggering its collapse this week. The move was an apparent bid by Salvini to ride the crest of the rising popularity of the League and himself and capture the premiership.
That has left President Sergio Mattarella with the crucial task of sounding out political leaders before deciding whether to declare the end of the national legislature 3½ years early.
Salvini's rival in the outgoing government, Deputy Premier Luigi Di Maio of the populist 5-Star Movement, was to meet with Mattarella later Thursday. The outcome of that meeting was expected to indicate if the 5-Stars, Parliament's biggest party, would entertain the Democrats' overture to counter Salvini.
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk expressed satisfaction on Monday after a series of candidates supported by his party won weekend races for mayor.
Candidates from his pro-European Union centrist Civic Coalition, or running with the party's backing, won in a series of cities in the second round of local elections held on Sunday, among them Krakow, Poznan, Wroclaw and Rzeszow.
“It is very difficult to clearly say who won and who lost,” Tusk said Monday. “But if we compare these results, especially in the most attractive places, on these attractive battlefields ... then I actually have reasons for satisfaction.”
“Law and Justice has simply disappeared in many places,” Tusk added at a news conference, referring to the main opposition party.
The results put Civic Coalition in a favorable position as the country looks next to elections to the European Parliament on June 9.
Mayors were chosen in a total of 748 cities and towns where no single candidate won at least 50% of the vote during the first round on April 7.
Candidates for Tusk’s party also recaptured cities where they had not held power for many years, including Zielona Gora, Legnica and Torun.
The local and regional elections were viewed as a test for Tusk's pro-European Union government four months after it took power at the national level. Sunday's second round strengthened the Tusk government's leverage in the cities, which should facilitate cooperation on development projects and allotment of EU funds.
Tusk's allies also won in some places in the first round two weeks ago, including in Warsaw, where incumbent Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski was an easy victor.
In the first round, the right-wing Law and Justice, prevailed on the level of regional assemblies in the country's 16 provinces, where it took 34.3% of the votes, while Tusk's Civic Coalition got 30.6%. Law and Justice governed on the national level from 2015-23.
Tusk’s socially liberal Civic Coalition traditionally has strong support in cities, while Law and Justice has a more solid base in conservative rural areas, particularly in eastern Poland.
Civic Coalition is the largest group in a three-party coalition that governs the EU nation of 38 million people. The coalition is pro-European Union but otherwise spans a wide ideological spectrum with left-wing politicians in the Left party as well as conservatives in the Third Way.
Polish voters take part in a local runoff election in Lomianki, near Warsaw, Poland on Sunday, April 21, 2024. Voters are choosing mayors who did not win outright in the first round of the election two weeks earlier. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)
Campaign posters promote candidates as Poles vote in local and regional elections in Lomianki, near Warsaw, Poland on Sunday, April 21, 2024. Voters are choosing mayors who did not win outright in the first round of the election two weeks earlier. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)
Polish voters take part in a local runoff election in Lomianki, near Warsaw, Poland on Sunday, April 21, 2024. Voters are choosing mayors who did not win outright in the first round of the election two weeks earlier. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)
Polish voters take part in a local runoff election in Lomianki, near Warsaw, Poland on Sunday, April 21, 2024. Voters are choosing mayors who did not win outright in the first round of the election two weeks earlier. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)
FILE - Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk reacts during his and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meeting with students in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Jan. 22, 2024. Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk is celebrating a victory on Monday April 22, 2024 after a series of candidates supported by his party won weekend races for mayor. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky, File)
FILE - Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk listens to the media in Berlin, Germany, Friday, March 15, 2024. Tusk is celebrating a victory on Monday April 22, 2024 after a series of candidates supported by his party won weekend races for mayor. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)
