Larry Williams Drive

Formal consultations began on Thursday aimed at giving Italy a new government within days, but feuding between right-wing campaign allies over Russia and Ukraine risks undermining the prospective governing coalition's pro-NATO, pro-Europe pledges. President Sergio Mattarella invited party leaders for talks at the Quirinal Palace before he gives a formal mandate to a premier-designate following the country's Sept. 25 election. Giorgia Meloni, whose Brothers of Italy party, at 26%, was the largest single vote-getter, is eager to become both Italy's first far-right leader to head a government since the end of World War and its first woman in the premiership. But her jubilation over her party's election victory has been tempered by troublesome words professing empathy for Russian President Vladimir Putin from Silvio Berlusconi, the former premier whose center-right Forza Italia's party has seen its popularity sag. Mattarella will give the mandate to try to forge a government in the hours or days after his meeting