The split in the five-star shifts the balance of power in the Italian parliament: the Lega becomes the strongest force. Meanwhile, Di Maio tries to save his job.
Italy, the largest governing party, has collapsed in an internal dispute over arms deliveries to Ukraine. Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio left the populist Five-Star Party Tuesday night after a dispute with current party leader and former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.
The main reason for the break was the party’s position on arms deliveries to Ukraine, which Conte claims to reject. Di Maio, on the other hand, supports Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s line. Because of the dispute, he said goodbye to the party – and took at least 60 MPs with him, including many party leaders. As a result, the Five Stars will lose around a quarter of their MPs and their status as the largest parliamentary group.