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A8 WORLD NEWS
Friday 30 august 2019
Italy's bitter political foes unite in bid to foil Salvini

BY COLLEEN BARRY crisis when he withdrew
GIADA ZAMPANO support for Conte earlier
Associated Press this month in a bid to force
ROME (AP) — Days after new elections that he was
stepping down, Italy's ex- convinced the League
premier accepted the role would win. Salvini was em-
of premier-designate on boldened by his strong
Thursday in a bid to cobble showing in this spring's Eu-
together a new coalition ropean elections as well
of long-time political foes as local votes and political
aimed at blocking a power surveys that showed the
grab by Matteo Salvini, the League had nearly dou-
right-wing leader whose bled its support since the
anti-migrant crackdowns 2018 elections, while that
and euroskeptic provoca- of the 5-Stars had fallen by
tions have dominated Ital- half.
ian politics for more than a But Salvini didn't count on
year. the former political foes
But even if Giuseppe closing ranks. And he is set
Conte, a 55-year-old law to lose both his role as Italy's
professor whose political powerful interior minister in
career spans 14 months charge of migrant policy
at the helm of a mostly Designate premier Giuseppe Conte delivers his speech after a meeting with President Sergio Mat- and his position as vice pre-
squabbling populist coali- tarella at Rome's Quirinale presidential palace, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019. mier if a new government is
tion, succeeds in building a Associated Press installed. The 5-Star Move-
new majority between the ment and Democrats are
grass-roots 5-Star Move- enemies until just days ago, League party. ascent to power. an unlikely alliance. The
ment and the center-left said Wolfango Piccoli, co- Salvini, whose popularity On Thursday, he called for two parties have long trad-
Democratic Party, political president of the Teneo con- soared as he grabbed the a demonstration in Rome ed barbed insults and just
analysts warn it may not sultancy. spotlight with hard-line poli- on Oct. 19 to protest any last year, the Democratic
last. Another government col- cies blocking Italian ports outcome that doesn't lead Party refused to even con-
"Weak leadership and sig- lapse would likely set the to humanitarian rescue to fresh elections. sider talks with the 5-Star
nificant intra-party cleav- country back on course to ships carrying migrants, is "We need to be heard Movement after inconclu-
ages ... will limit the shelf- new elections, which could already crying foul, ac- against this theft of democ- sive March 2018 national
life" of any coalition gov- play straight into the hands cusing the 5-Stars and the racy," Salvini said in a Face- elections that eventually
ernment between the two of Salvini, the leader of the Democratic Party of engi- book direct video. led to the 5-Star coalition
parties, which were bitter right-wing, anti-migrant neering a plan to block his Salvini plunged Italy into with the League.q

US, France to lead talks on

a global digital tax

PARIS (AP) — France and reimburse companies any
the United States agreed excess taxes once an inter-
to take leading roles in talks national deal is in place.
aimed at reaching a deal "No one can accept that
on a global digital tax by companies make huge
mid-2020. revenues in a country with-
French Finance Minister out being physically pres-
Bruno Le Maire said Thurs- ent there and therefore
day that both countries will without paying taxes on
be working in a task force that territory," Le Maire said.
with the Paris-based Orga- "That's about justice and ef-
nization for Economic Co- ficiency."
operation and Develop- The 3% French tax, which
ment. primarily targets firms us-
Le Maire will meet with ing consumer data to sell
U.S. Treasury Secretary Ste- online advertising, has just
ven Mnuchin next week in entered into force. It had
Washington. prompted threats from U.S.
Angel Gurria, OECD sec- President Donald Trump
retary general, said that about heavy tariffs on
about 130 countries are in- French wine.
volved in the process. Le Maire and Gurria said
France and the U.S. an- they hope to have draft
nounced an agreement agreement on the table by
this week over a French the end of the year so that
tax on online giants like a deal on the global tax
Google, Amazon and can be reached in the first
Facebook. France would semester of 2020.q