Pier Luigi Bersani’s ultimatum to Grillo

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Italy could be inching closer towards another election within months after centre-left leader Pier Luigi Bersani issued an ultimatum to anti-establishment 5-Star Movement boss Beppe Grillo to support a new government or return to the polls. Last week’s inconclusive election, in which Grillo won a huge protest vote, left no group with a working majority in Parliament, making an alliance with a rival the only way out. In an interview on RAI state television late on Sunday, Bersani underlined his opposition to two of the options currently being floated – another technocrat government like the outgoing one led by Mario Monti or a grand coalition with Silvio Berlusconi’s centre-right. That would leave only one possibility to avoid elections – Grillo’s backing for the centre-left, which won the lower house in the election but does not have enough support to rule in the Senate. “Now (Grillo) must say what he wants, otherwise we all go home, including him,” Bersani said. Grillo has repeatedly said his populist movement, which he refuses to call a party, would not give a vote of confidence to any government of established parties, although it could support individual laws. “We have already...