Populist parties fail to form coalition government

ROME — Italy’s political landscape grew even shakier Sunday after the president refused to approve a proposed Cabinet minister with views critical of the euro currency and the premier-designate quit his bid to form a populist coalition government.

After being summoned to and emerging from the presidential palace, Premiere-Designate Giuseppe Conte did not say why he couldn’t form what would have been Western Europe’s first populist government.

But Italian President Sergio Mattarella said minutes later he had refused to accept the nominee the euroskeptic League and 5-Star Movement parties had put forward as economy minister.