Italian president to ask Conte to form M5S-PD coalition gov't

Italian president Sergio Mattarella will summon outgoing Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Thursday in order to ask him to try to form a new coalition government.

File photo of Giuseppe Conte. [Photo: IC]

"President Sergio Mattarella has summoned professor Giuseppe Conte tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. (local time)," the president's office said in a statement late Wednesday.

The latest development in the Italian political crisis came after negotiations between anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) and center-left Democratic Party (PD) reached a positive, although still partial, result.

President Mattarella concluded a two-day second round of consultations with all parties in parliament on Wednesday, after the former right-wing government led by PM Conte -- and based on a coalition between the M5S and far-right League of Matteo Salvini -- collapsed last week.

Conte resigned on Aug. 20, and was asked by the head of state to remain in office as caretaker of current affairs while consultations were taking place.