"Silvio Berlusconi, who has nine years of experience in the government, who has presided in the G7 and G8 groups three times, has recently become available following the rehabilitation. That's why I think that because of the lack of persons [available to become prime minister] I am completely available because there is no candidate who can compare with Silvio Berlusconi," the former prime minister told reporters.
Despite the fact that the Italian parliamentary elections took place in early March, the attempts of the center-right coalition, consisting of the Lega party, Forza Italia and the Brothers of Italy movement, as well as of the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S), to create a new cabinet have failed.
In May, Mattarella said that if the parties failed to reach an agreement, he would form a "neutral government," which would have temporary powers until December, and call an election in 2019. After the announcement, Lega and M5S intensified their coalition talks. On Friday, Lega and M5S published a coalition agreement establishing the framework of their potential government.
Commenting on the Lega-M5S accord, Berlusconi said that the agreement had nothing in common with the program of the center-right coalition, adding that the Lega leader had never made any statements on behalf of the coalition — only on behalf of Lega or himself.
