ROME: Italy's Five Star Movement, the biggest party in Prime Minister Mario Draghi's government, looked on course Tuesday to split over long-running tensions exacerbated by attitudes to the Ukraine war.
Dozens of lawmakers have signed up to form a new group led by Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio due to launch in 2023, media reports said.
Five Star (M5S) once threatened to upend the political order in Italy, taking office after the 2018 election after winning a third of the vote on an anti-establishment ticket.
But while still part of a national unity government led by Draghi, it has been riven by splits and defections and plagued by dismal opinion polls, which point to a heavy defeat in national elections next year.
Di Maio -- a former Five Star leader and deputy prime minister -- has clashed for months with current party chief Giuseppe Conte, himself the former premier.
Italy wants to see Ukraine as part of EU, Draghi says in Kyiv
Tensions peaked at the weekend after Di Maio called for an end to party criticism over Draghi's attitude to the Ukraine war, notably the sending of weapons to help Kyiv fight Russia.
"I am accused by the leaders of my political force of being Atlanticist and pro-European," Di Maio wrote in a statement.
"Let me say that, as foreign minister, in the face of this terrible war I proudly claim to be strongly Atlanticist and pro-European."
Conte has said Rome should focus on a political solution.
"We have contributed by sending three lots of weapons, now it seems to us our contribution would be more precious on the diplomatic front," he said earlier this month.
Draghi's government has sent weapons and cash to help Ukraine, while strongly supporting EU sanctions against Russia.
In a statement on the war to parliament Tuesday, ahead of an EU summit later this week, he made clear his course was set.
The former European Central Bank chief -- who visited Kyiv last week with the leaders of France and Germany -- noted lawmakers' majority vote in March to send weapons.
"Italy will continue to work with the European Union and with our G7 partners to support Ukraine, to seek peace, to overcome this crisis," said Draghi, with Di Maio at his side.
"This is the mandate the government has received from parliament, from you. This is the guide for our action."
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