Italian pm, 5Star to meet on Monday

Italian prime minister Mario Draghi and the leader of the 5 Star Movement Giuseppe Conte will meet on Monday to try to resolve tensions that could bring down Draghi's 16 month old government.

Conte, who was Draghi's predecessor as Prime Minister, took over the reins of the 5 Star Movement after his own government collapsed in February of last year, but relations with Draghi have become more difficult as 5 Star's fortunes have waned.

A split this month saw around 60 of its lawmakers leave a breakaway group led by Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, who was a former 5 Star leader, will be important to clarify things, according to a gathering on Friday with 5 Star's ally the Democratic Party PD 5 Star, the largest party in parliament.

Some people who remained are urging Conte to withdraw out of the multi-party government, saying Draghi has watered down or scrapped its flagship measures and it has more chance of reviving its fortunes in opposition.

Draghi told reporters his government could not exist without the 5 Star Movement and that he would step aside if it quits his coalition even though he would still have a majority in parliament.

He denied reports he had tried to persuade 5 Star's founder, comedian Beppe Grillo, to kick out Conte as leader.

Conte will ask the premier to give assurances on several policies championed by 5 Star which are doubted due to opposition from Draghi or other coalition parties, according to a 5 Star source told Reuters.

The citizens' income poverty-relief scheme, the introduction of a minimum wage, and state subsidies for energy-saving home improvements are among these things.

Conte will push his case over plans for a garbage incinerator in Rome, which 5 Star opposes, and future Italian arms shipments to Ukraine, which his party opposes, but on which Draghi shows no sign of relenting.

The source said that the meeting with Draghi will be preceded by a gathering of 5 Star's top brass to finalise its position.

If 5 Star leaves the coalition, it would jeopardise its chances of an alliance with the PD at a national election later next year.

If 5 Star pulls out, that will be the end of the government and it will be impossible for us to run with them at the election, Culture Minister Dario Franceschini, a prominent PD politician, said on Sunday.

The PD is currently on around 20%, while 5 - Star, which took 33% at the last election in 2018, has seen its support drop to around 12%, according to the latest surveys.