Italian president hesitates as novice put forward as premier

Anti-establishment 5-Star Movement leader Luigi Di Maio speaks to the media after a consultation with the Italian President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinal Palace in Rome, Italy, May 21, 2018. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi

ROME (Reuters) - Italy's anti-establishment 5-Star Movement and the far-right League on Monday proposed Giuseppe Conte, a little-known law professor, as prime minister to lead their big-spending coalition government.

But instead of immediately endorsing their choice, President Sergio Mattarella played for time, seeking further consultations over the appointment of a political novice to head a mooted administration that has alarmed markets and the European Union.