The newspaper said Berlusconi, leader of the Forza Italia party, told the head of his main centre-right ally, the Northern League’s Matteo Salvini, of his position during a meeting on Tuesday.

It quoted Berlusconi as saying during a meeting that he did not have any “preclusion” towards 5-Star.

Berlusconi told Salvini that the centre-right could form a government with a specific, pre-determined agenda to tackle issues such as the economy, labour, security, and immigration, the newspaper said, without citing specific sources.

The March 4 election ended in a hung parliament, with a right-wing coalition winning a combined 37% of the votes and the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement emerging as by far the largest single party in parliament, with 32% of the votes.

La Repubblica said Berlusconi’s strategy was to put the ball into 5-Star’s court so that they would have to assume responsibility if no government were to be formed.

Berlusconi and his centre-right allies, which also include the smaller Brothers of Italy party, were due to meet in Rome later on Wednesday.

The League took 17% of the overall votes, compared to 14% for Berlusconi’s Forza Italia, putting the League in the driver’s seat of the centre-right.

The solution feared most by markets is a marriage between 5-Star and the League, excluding Forza Italia, which is seen a moderating, pro-European force.

The League and 5-Star on their own would have a parliamentary majority and there are some overlaps in their manifestos, with both calling for tax cuts, greater spending on welfare, and a rejection of EU budget rules.

Both used to call for Italy to abandon the euro, but while 5-Star says the moment has passed, the League says it still wants to leave the single currency at the earliest politically feasible time.

Salvini last year said he was open to forming an alliance with 5-Star, but has since said he will not abandon his right-wing bloc.

President Sergio Mattarella is due to start his consultations with party leaders early next month.