Italy’s centrist politicians are rallying behind Mario Monti’s offer to lead an alliance into elections in February, setting the stage for a confrontation with Silvio Berlusconi in his attempt to return to power.
Mr Monti, who was appointed technocrat prime minister 13 months ago and has never fought an election in his life, was due to meet prospective coalition partners today to discuss strategy and candidate lists, politicians said.
His decision to seek a second stint as prime minister, while not yet official, could lead to an even more fragmented parliament than had been expected. It injects a fourth element into a battle between the centre-left Democrats, Mr Berlusconi’s centre-right People of Liberty and the anti-establishment Five Star Movement.