Italian PM Resigns

Reviews
This review is about Italy's concerning political situation. As most opposing politicians tend to be, neither of the sides could agree on much and their Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, had enough. The article tends to let the opponents speak for themselves which I would count in their favor, but they do give some support to Conte along the way. But they went after Conte at some points of the article.
Common Facts
Content (6)
CNN
Vox
Fox New.
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced his resignation on Tuesday 8/20/19.
Conte’s resignation was prompted after Matteo Salvini tabled the no-confidence motion 12 days ago.

Salvini is the leader of the anti-European Union and anti-immigration party.
"Salvini has been enjoying a surging popularity that encouraged him to call for an election in a bid to gain more power."
"Salvini officially pulled his support from the government coalition this month, saying it no longer has a workable majority."
"What hasn’t worked out well for Salvini is the awkward coalition government he’s a member of, which consists of his party and the Five Star Movement."
Review Info (3)
First Published: 08/23/2019 12:42:23 am
Last Updated: 11/30/-0001 12:00:00 am
Original Front Page Link
CNN
Content (11)
"Conte listened to the rest of Tuesday's Senate debate before submitting his resignation to President Sergio Mattarella."
President Mattarella will first hold "consultations," or, official meetings, with the speakers of the Senate and the representatives of all the other political parties on Wednesday, 8/21/19
Conte became prime minister in June 2018.
Conte was a law professor with no previous political experience.
"Those disputes reached fever pitch, as the two parties engaged in a bitter political standoff over a migrant ship that has been stranded off Italy for 19 days.
The courts ruled that said the boat should be allowed to come ashore.
"Salvini eventually allowed 27 unaccompanied minors to disembark the ship."
The rail project was supported by the League.
"The turmoil comes at a difficult time as Italy's parliament must approve and present its draft budget to European Union leaders in Brussels by mid-October."
"Politicians are also working to finalize reforms proposed by the Five Star Movement which would slash the country's parliament by more than 300 seats."
Salvini refused to allow the Open Arms to dock.
Opinion (14)
In a speech, Conte launched a scathing attack on Salvini, the country's Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister.
"Salvini pushed for new elections, saying that the government coalition between the hardline anti-immigrant League party and the anti-establishment Five Star Movement no longer holds a majority in parliament."
"Conte said Salvini's demand for fresh elections — "a mere 18 months after the last ones were held" — was "irresponsible."
Conte accused him of putting the national interest at risk to advance his own personal interests.
"Conte also slammed Salvini, who was sitting next to him throughout his speech, for what he described as a lack of statesmanship."
Conte- "Asking citizens to vote every year is irresponsible,"
The resignation potentially set "…Italy off on a path towards the new elections Salvini has called for."
After Conte finished his speech in the Senate, Salvini said that he would "do what I did all over again," adding: "I am a free man. I am not afraid of the judgment of Italians."
Salvini then said he wanted to offer Italians a "future of growth and prosperity."
"Salvini also defended his policies on Europe and immigration, which caused the coalition to fall apart. "
He said: "are we or are we not a sovereign country, free to protect its borders, its beaches!"
Conte demanded that Salvini "urgently adopt the necessary measures to ensure assistance and protection for minors present in the boat."
"Salvini insisted that the decision was "exclusively" Conte's responsibility."
Tensions between the two parties rose after a split vote over a planned high-speed rail link between Italy and France.
Article Info (4)
Date Published: 11/30/-0001 12:00:00 am
Date Accessed: 11/30/-0001 12:00:00 am
Article Author: Livia Borghese, Ivana Kottasová and Kara Fox
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Vox
Content (6)
Italy just had elections in March 2018.
The fractured results of the elections forced an odd marriage between the anti-establishment Five Star Movement and the Lega party.
"When Salvini took over leadership of the Lega in 2013, it was a regionalist party with a narrow focus on northern Italy (its full name is Lega Nord, or Northern League), and it lacked national appeal."
He pushed this party to the right and embraced a populist, “Italians first” message.
"But the Five Star Movement received the most votes — about 32 percent — in the elections in March 2018."
Salvini’s Lega got about 17 percent of the vote.
Opinion (20)
"Italy has been slow-walking into a political crisis for weeks. Now it’s here."
His resignation effectively collapsed the country’s government.
"In a speech before the Italian Senate, Conte blamed his deputy prime minister, Matteo Salvini, for the mess, accusing him of being irresponsible."
Conte also said that Salvini is putting “his own interests and those of his party” ahead of Italy’s, at the risk of political and financial instability.
"Conte is not totally wrong: Salvini has largely orchestrated this political drama."
"Salvini has been angling for weeks for snap elections, in the hopes that his rising popularity and success in May’s European Parliament elections would give him enough support that he could become prime minister outright after a new vote."
"It was a fragile coalition, to begin with, and divisions between the two and Salvini’s recent power play made it recently untenable."
"But Conte’s resignation effectively preempted the vote, upending the government anyway."
"Conte’s attacked Salvini’s “irresponsible” actions for setting this crisis in motion."
But Salvini said had said Tuesday he’d “do everything all over again.”
"But it all might not work out as perfectly as Salvini originally plotted. Right now, there’s a chance he won’t get the fall elections he desperately desires. Instead, his scheme could backfire, and he might get kicked out of government altogether."
Matteo Salvini's rise to power fits into a broader resurgence of right-wing populism that swept Europe in recent years.
"Salvini helped changed that, especially in the lead-up to the 2018 elections. "
"Most notably, he embraced an anti-immigrant platform at a time when Italy was on the front lines of Europe’s refugee and migrant crisis."
"A savvy politician, Salvini plays up the anti-elitist, “man of the people” vibe, and he’s skilled at promoting this persona on social media."
"He also invokes religion a lot, something Conte criticized him for during his resignation speech on Tuesday."
Conte says it “undermined the principle of secularism of the modern state.”
"All of this has worked out well for Salvini so far. He’s arguably the most popular politician in Italy right now."
Georgetown University political scientist Hans Noel described the party as “like what would happen if you put Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump, and Jon Stewart in a blender.”
"Thus ensued a long and complicated process of trying to form a government, in which neither the left nor the right could do so without the support of the Five Star Movement."
Article Info (4)
Date Published: 11/30/-0001 12:00:00 am
Date Accessed: 11/30/-0001 12:00:00 am
Article Author: Jen Kirby
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Fox News
Content (6)
Conte's resignation comes at the same time as the populist League party’s calls for a no-confidence vote and a snap election.
Matteo Salvini is the Italian interior minister whose League is in a coalition government with the 5 Star party,
The resignation won’t automatically trigger a snap election.
"It will be up to President Sergio Mattarella to decide whether to call a new election or let the 5 Star party try to form another government."
"Salvini’s push for new elections is also favored by Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia and the far-right Brothers of Italy party."
"Italy is also in a standoff with the EU that demands that the Italian government enact a series of austerity measures in exchange for necessary financial support."
Opinion (6)
"Conte blasted Salvini as 'irresponsible' for putting the country into a political crisis and said it will have 'major consequences on the country and its economy.'"
“This government terminates here,” Conte said during a speech to the Senate in Rome.
"But fresh elections may not happen as 5 Star are reportedly in talks with the establishment center-left Democratic Party to possibly form a new government."
"The political crisis in Italy comes as the country is facing economic difficulties."
"Salvini has openly scorned the EU’s demands."
"Salvini has promised the Italian people on Tuesday that he would introduce tax cuts and public spending worth $55 billion if he takes control of the government."
Article Info (4)
Date Published: 11/30/-0001 12:00:00 am
Date Accessed: 11/30/-0001 12:00:00 am
Article Author: Lukas Mikelionis
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