"We have demonstrated to the president our readiness to explore an alternative majority and launch a new political phase," Nicola Zingaretti told reporters, adding he wanted to offer an "alternative to the right that would have a new agenda and a broad parliamentary base."
President Sergio Mattarella gave major parties two days to agree on a caretaker government after Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte quit Tuesday citing differences in the ruling coalition of the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) and the right-wing League.
He was earlier reported to be warming to a coalition with the M5S after first rejecting the idea, floated by his fellow party member and the former prime minister, Matteo Renzi.
League’s leader Matteo Salvini has been pushing for a snap election instead that is expected to give him a mandate to form a fully right-wing government. Zingaretti said that the vote would be a "natural way out of the crisis," should coalition talks fail.