Italy's League threatening to bring down government: 5-Star leader
ROME (Reuters) - Italy's League is threatening to bring down the government over a graft scandal involving one of its senior politicians, coalition partner the 5-Star Movement said on Friday.
The accusation was swiftly rejected by League leader Matteo Salvini, but the harsh verbal spat underlined how relations between the two coalition allies have sharply deteriorated in the run-up to next month's EU parliamentary election.
The coalition was thrown into turmoil on Thursday when Armando Siri, an economic adviser to Salvini, was placed under official investigation for allegedly accepting bribes to promote the interests of renewable energy companies.
Siri, who serves as an undersecretary in the transport ministry, has denied the accusations. But as soon as news of the judicial probe leaked, Transport Minister Danilo Toninelli, who is a 5-Star member, stripped him of his government responsibilities until further notice.
The unilateral move angered the League and led to furious recriminations between the two coalition partners, who formed a surprise government alliance last May after an inconclusive national election.
"...Even today the League is threatening to bring down the government ... I'm really stunned," 5-Star leader Luigi Di Maio said on Facebook, accusing his government ally of acting irresponsibly.
In comments that looked certain to further inflame tensions, Di Maio said his party had seen Siri in the past trying to introduce measures that were "a bit controversial".
"We remember them. When they landed on our desk they seemed strange and we stopped them. ... Without us, who knows what would have happened," Di Maio wrote, without giving any details.
Siri made no immediate comment, but Salvini responded with a brief statement. "The League wants to govern well and for a long time in the interests of Italians. Thoughts of a government crisis can only to be found in Di Maio's head," he said.
(Reporting by Angelo Amante; Editing by Crispian Balmer)
