Italy's political instability further delays sale of Alitalia

The sale of Italy's Alitalia has been further delayed because of continued political uncertainty following March's inconclusive elections, the industry minister said Thursday. The outgoing centre-left government had hoped to complete a sale by the end of this month, but Carlo Calenda said Rome now expected to finish the process by the end of October. The government also put back the deadline for repayment of an E900m bridge loan to Dec. 15. The national airline entered insolvency proceedings in May 2017 and the state is talking to three potential buyers, but early optimism over the chances of a swift sale have evaporated as a result of the prolonged political deadlock. "It's clear that now we have to enter into a more intense phase of negotiations... which requires that there be a government that can express its preference with full legitimacy," Calenda said. The minister said that during the election campaign, parties had expressed different views about Alitalia's future. President Sergio Mattarella is holding consultations with Italy's main political forces on forming a coalition but there is no sign yet of an end to the stalemate. <br/>