Sergio Mattarella

Carlo Cottarelli arrives for a meeting with the Italian President Sergio Mattarella walk next to each other

Has the Italian establishment gone too far in its bid to stop the populists from taking Rome?

Global Politics

After weeks of negotiations, an agreement had been signed by Five Star Movement and the hard-right party Lega. Then, at the last moment, Italian President Sergio Mattarella — who holds a largely ceremonial role as head of state — torpedoed the deal.

Former senior International Monetary Fund (IMF) official Carlo Cottarelli

Italy looks set for new elections after political stalemate