“I am asking both these political forces to make a choice and tell me if they still want to honour the government’s obligations,” he said.
“If not, I will simply end my mandate.”
A year after coming into power, the fragile coalition has experienced rising tensions over a range of issues.
Relations between the League and M5S further soured during the campaign for last month’s European parliamentary elections.
Italy faces tough decisions on spending and Conte is seeking a firm mandate to continue a dialogue with the EU over the nation’s public debt.
Speaking at a news conference on Monday, the prime minister called for a “loyal collaboration” from governing ministers and demanded “a clear, unequivocal and speedy response”.
League leader Matteo Salvini said last Tuesday that he expected Brussels to sanction his country for its deteriorating deficit and huge debt by imposing a fine of €3 billion.
Salvini did not even wait for the end of Conte’s press conference to declare: “We are ready, we want to go ahead and we can’t lose time, the League is ready.”
M5S leader Luigi Di Maio echoed Salvini’s enthusiasm.
“We are loyal, we want to get to work immediately ... Let’s forge ahead with loyalty and coherence, we still have to change a lot of things,” he wrote on Facebook.
Italian news agency ANSA later reported that the two leaders had reopened dialogue and had already reached an agreement to end a dispute over restrictions to public building projects, which are aimed at boosting the economy.
