ROME, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Italy lurched into a new period of political instability on Tuesday after the nearly 15-month-old government of Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte crumbled.
Conte, who was a low-key law professor before being pulled into the political spotlight last year, went down swinging, launching a stinging tirade against Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, who he accused of forcing the government to collapse for personal reasons.
Salvini's move "has shown us that he is following his own interests and those of his party," Conte told parliament, adding "His decisions create serious risks for this country."
Conte also said Salvini and the nationalist, rightwing League, the party Salvini heads, had "grave contempt" for Italy's parliament, and that they put the country at risk of a "dizzying spiral of political and financial instability."
It is far from clear what the coming weeks will hold, according to analysts. Conte will stay on as the head of a short-term caretaker government that will oversee the day-to-day operations of the government. In the meantime, President Sergio Mattarella will meet with political leaders to try to figure out some other combination of parties that could form a new government.
The consensus among analysts is that Salvini, who many believe orchestrated the collapse as part of a political power grab, will be left on the outside looking in.
It is also not clear why Salvini pursued a course of action that is unlikely to lead to the new elections he wants. Polls show that Salvini's League is the biggest political party in Italy, though that was not the case when last year's general election took place. That means Salvini would need a new vote to consolidate power.
One reason snap elections are unlikely is because Italy will soon embark on the difficult process of finalizing the country's 2020 budget. That process would become even more complicated if elections are held in the middle of it.
Analysts said the most likely outcome is that the populist Five-Star Movement, which had been the League's partner for the 445 days of the Conte government, could form a new coalition with the center-left Democratic Party, now the largest opposition party.
According to Riccardo Puglisi, an economist and frequent political commentator, it's possible that Conte could even stay on to lead the new government - albeit with a new parliament that includes none of the members of Salvini's League.
"If there's an agreement between the Five-Star Movement and the Democratic Party they'll need a compromise candidate who is not formally a member of either party," Puglisi told Xinhua, "Conte could fit the bill, just as he did last year" when the League-Five-Star coalition was being formed.
Flavio Chiapponi, a professor of political communications at the University of Pavia, believes that the situation will become much clearer in the coming days and weeks.
"Very often part of the story is hidden when it comes to Italian political situations," Chiapponi said in an interview. "It seems strange that Salvini pushed for this collapse even when it became clear it would not work to his advantage. I think there is a part of this story we don't understand yet."
For his part, Salvini still appears content with recent developments. The 46-year-old functionary sat next to Conte for all of the prime minister's attacks against him, shaking his head and smirking. When Salvini spoke during the debate, he defiantly told lawmakers: "I'd do it all again."
