Forza Italia party's Leader Silvio Berlusconi, right, listens to The League party's leader Matteo Salvin as he speaks with journalists at the Quirinale presidential palace after talks with Italian President Sergio Mattarella, in Rome, Monday, May 7, 2018. Matteo Salvini, the head of the center-right coalition that won the most votes in Italy's inconclusive March 4 election is urging Italy's president to give the alliance a mandate to try to find a parliamentary majority. (Ettore Ferrari/ANSA via AP)
The Associated Press
ROME (AP) - The head of the center-right coalition that won the most votes in Italy's inconclusive March 4 election urged Italy's president on Monday to give the alliance a mandate to try to find a parliamentary majority.
League leader Matteo Salvini emerged from the latest round of talks insisting that the center-right bloc best represents the will and hopes of Italians. Salvini was flanked by ex-Premier Silvio Berlusconi and Georgia Meloni of the small right-wing Brothers of Italy party, whose conservative forces together won 37 percent of the vote.
The populist 5-Star Movement, which won 32 percent, once again urged Salvini to form an alliance. Salvini has refused the 5-Stars' demand that he ditch Berlusconi.
Five-Star leader Luigi Di Maio, meanwhile, vowed to reject any "technical" government proposed by President Sergio Mattarella.
Mattarella was holding a final day of consultations Monday in hopes of finding a solution to two months of political deadlock. News reports have suggested he might resort to a technical government that would lead Italy until at least the end of the year, to pass the budget, and hold a new election in 2019.
Di Maio has said if no political solution is found, the 5-Stars would insist on having Italian voters return to the polls as soon as this summer.
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This version corrects that Salvini had rejected the demand from 5-Star that he ditch Berlusconi, not from the League.
Five Stars Movement leader Luigi Di Maio talks to media at the Quirinale presidential palace after talks with Italian President Sergio Mattarella, in Rome, Monday, May 7, 2018. Mattarella held today another day of consultations aimed at identifying whether any party or coalition can muster support to form a government after the March 4 election produced no majority in parliament. (Angelo Carconi/ANSA via AP)
The Associated Press
Five Stars Movement leader Luigi Di Maio, center, flanked by his colleagues Giulia Grillo right, and Danilo Toninelli, talks to media at the Quirinale presidential palace after talks with Italian President Sergio Mattarella, in Rome, Monday, May 7, 2018. Mattarella held today another day of consultations aimed at identifying whether any party or coalition can muster support to form a government after the March 4 election produced no majority in parliament. (Angelo Carconi/ANSA via AP)
The Associated Press
Five Stars Movement leader Luigi Di Maio, left, flanked by his colleague Giulia Grillo, talks to media at the Quirinale presidential palace after talks with Italian President Sergio Mattarella, in Rome, Monday, May 7, 2018. Mattarella held today another day of consultations aimed at identifying whether any party or coalition can muster support to form a government after the March 4 election produced no majority in parliament. (Ettore Ferrari/ANSA via AP)
The Associated Press
The League party's leader Matteo Salvini walks away after speaking with journalists at the Quirinale presidential palace after talks with Italian President Sergio Mattarella, in Rome, Monday, May 7, 2018. Matteo Salvini of the center-right coalition that won the most votes in Italy's inconclusive March 4 election urged Italy's president on Monday to give the alliance a mandate to try to find a parliamentary majority. (Ettore Ferrari/ANSA via AP)
The Associated Press
From Left, Brothers of Italy party's leader Giorgia Meloni, The League party's leader Matteo Salvini, and Forza Italia party's Leader Silvio Berlusconi, walk away after speaking with journalists at the Quirinale presidential palace after talks with Italian President Sergio Mattarella, in Rome, Monday, May 7, 2018. Matteo Salvini of the center-right coalition that won the most votes in Italy's inconclusive March 4 election urged Italy's president on Monday to give the alliance a mandate to try to find a parliamentary majority. (Ettore Ferrari/ANSA via AP)
The Associated Press
Acting Secretary of the Democratic Party, Maurizio Martina, center, is flanked by Andrea Marcucci, left, and Graziano Delrio speak with journalists at the Quirinale presidential palace after talks with Italian President Sergio Mattarella, in Rome, Monday, May 7, 2018. Matteo Salvini of the center-right coalition that won the most votes in Italy's inconclusive March 4 election urged Italy's president on Monday to give the alliance a mandate to try to find a parliamentary majority. (Ettore Ferrari/ANSA via AP)
The Associated Press
The League party's leader Matteo Salvini, left, is flanked by Forza Italia party's Leader Silvio Berlusconi, right, as he speaks with journalists at the Quirinale presidential palace after talks with Italian President Sergio Mattarella, in Rome, Monday, May 7, 2018. Mattarella held today another day of consultations aimed at identifying whether any party or coalition can muster support to form a government after the March 4 election produced no majority in parliament. (Ettore Ferrari/ANSA via AP)
The Associated Press
Five Stars Movement leader Luigi Di Maio, center, flanked by his colleagues Giulia Grillo right, and Danilo Toninelli, talks to media at the Quirinale presidential palace after talks with Italian President Sergio Mattarella, in Rome, Monday, May 7, 2018. Mattarella held today another day of consultations aimed at identifying whether any party or coalition can muster support to form a government after the March 4 election produced no majority in parliament. (Angelo Carconi/ANSA via AP)
The Associated Press