The centre-right party of outgoing Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said on Sunday it was ready to give its support to a new technocrat government led by former European Commissioner Mario Monti.
"We have made clear our availability and consent to giving the mandate to Professor Monti," PDL secretary Angelino Alfano said after meeting President Giorgio Napolitano.
He said the party's agreement was conditional on the make-up and policy programme to be announced by the new government.
Monti's mandate should be based on reform commitments given by Berlusconi to European partners and should exclude people who had acted against his centre-right government, Alfano said.
Berlusconi resigned on Saturday and Monti is expected to be appointed to head a new government on Sunday night.