Strife between the government and opposition could spoil a major opportunity for Italy when it hosts the Group of Eight summit next month, the head of industrial employers' association Confindustria said on Tuesday.
Speaking in Florence, Emma Marcegaglia said the July 8-10 summit in the quake-stricken city of L'Aquila was a major and fundamental international opportunity'' for the country which is threatened by domestic squabbling.
''The G8 is a wonderful showcase for the country. We've got to arrive at it united and compact, without divisions or situations that weaken our country,'' said Marcegaglia.
The Confindustria chief made no direct mention of rows sparked by media coverage of Premier Silvio Berlusconi's private life but she said that the ongoing friction could have a ''major international fallout''.
She praised President Giorgio Napolitano who on Monday urged the two sides to ''call a truce'' to their polemics in view of the G8, saying she had ''appreciated'' his warning.
