5-Star Movement (M5S) leader and
ex-premier Giuseppe Conte said Friday that he wants to
strengthen ties to Italy's other main opposition group, the
centre-left Democratic Party (PD), adding that a drive to
shorten the working week could be an area for cooperation.
"I think the dialogue that has already started with the PD
should be strengthened in the common interest of a better
Italy," Conte said at an event in Rome.
"Our efforts can only be oriented towards change.
"The M5s has an innovative drive, I would say a revolutionary
one, (a drive for) a gentle revolution.
"We have already achieved results in terms of convergence, such
as with the battle for a minimum wage.
"Today we are widening that front.
"I heard (PD leader Elly) Schlein speak about reducing working
hours with the same level of pay.
"This is a proposal of ours, and we can converge with the PD on
it."
Several commentators, such as ex-premier and former European
Commission president Romano Prodi, have said that the only way
to beat Premier Giorgia Meloni's right/centre-right alliance is
for all the opposition parties to form a broad coalition
featuring the M5S, the PD, the Green-Left Alliance (AVS) and
centrist groups like Azione.
But so far such efforts have had limited success.
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