The office of Mario Monti on Thursday denied press reports suggesting that Italy's outgoing prime minister intended to join ranks with the centre-left in the electoral fight against his
predecessor, Silvio Berlusconi.
Centre-left daily La Repubblica had earlier reported that Monti and Democratic Party (PD) leader Pier Luigi Bersani had reached "a non-aggression pact," agreeing to focus their campaigns against
Berlusconi, a conservative, and to work on a post-election alliance.
According to the report, the PD had also asked Monti to stop criticizing trade unions and its leftist coalition partner, Nichi Vendola.
"The story from La Repubblica is clearly false," a spokeswoman for Monti told dpa.
In a statement, Monti's office only confirmed he had telephone conversations with Bersani, Berlusconi and centrist leader Pier Ferdinando Casini about the war in Mali, European Union budget talks and the appointment of local government representatives.
Monti, formerly a non-partisan figure, is a major player in elections due on February 24-25, running as the leader of a centrist coalition. The front-runner in the contest is the centre-left
alliance led by the PD.
News of a "secret meeting" with Bersani was also carried by La Stampa. The Turin-based newspaper said the two leaders had reached an "informal agreement" not to hurt each other too much during
campaigning, but were far from striking a formal coalition deal.
Reacting to the reports, Berlusconi told RAI state broadcaster that a PD-Monti alliance was "natural" because the outgoing premier "has no chance to make a mark without relying on the left."
Later in the day, Bersani officially launched his campaign.
"This time, our forces are able to defeat the right," he said from a theatre in Rome, after presenting his party's youngest candidates to an audience of first-time voters.
In a swipe against Berlusconi, whose time in office was rife with rumours of sexual shenanigans, he said the campaign should be devoid of "cabaret," while he dismissed the speculation about a deal with Monti as idle political talk.
Referring to Berlusconi's lack of contrition and to his party's tendency to engage in navel-gazing, he quipped that the difference between Italy's left and right was that "for us it is always our fault, for them it is always the fault of someone else."
While still ahead, the centre-left has been sliding in the polls, losing around 3 points in recent days to 37 per cent. Berlusconi's side has reduced its 15-point disadvantage and is now on 26-27 per cent, while Monti's camp is stable on about 15 per cent.
Polling trends have reinforced centre-left concerns that it may not win an overall majority in both houses of parliament, making an alliance with Monti the only option to govern.
"We need to call to arms all those ready to give a hand in defeating the right," Bersani said.
The reported Monti-Bersani talks came after days of intense sniping between the outgoing premier and Berlusconi.
One potential bone of contention between Monti and the centre-left involves same-sex marriages - a sensitive issue in Catholic Italy.
Monti's coalition includes Christian Democrats as well as people from Catholic non-governmental organizations and trade unions.
"I think that a family is made up by a man and a woman, based on marriage. Children must be brought up by a father and a mother.
Parliament can find other ways to protect other forms of coexistence," he said on the SkyTG24 news channel.
The PD is in favour of legalizing same-sex civil partnerships while Vendola, who has publicly announced his homosexuality, has been campaigning for same-sex marriages and gay adoption rights.