Premier Matteo Renzi defended
himself Wednesday from critics of his Jobs Act labor reform,
which would scale back some protections for workers under
Article 18 of the 1970 Workers Statute, and went on to outline
his hopes for the coming months of his premiership.
"I stand by our choice on Article 18, and I totally deny
the charges that we didn't budget enough to protect the weakest
sectors of society," he told journalist Bruno Vespa in an
interview for an upcoming book, excerpts of which are to be
published by Panorama magazine on Thursday.
"The time of ideological safety blankets is over. We are
the first to put real and copious welfare money on the table".
Renzi went on to remind "those who in the 1990s and in 2006
said that reforms must be carried out without allocating a
single euro, that we have allocated 1.5 billion euros".
The premier added that he "expected more solidarity on the
battle we are conducting in Europe", where Italy has been
leading calls for more flexibility and a new focus on growth and
job creation rather than austerity".
"Some of those who berate and oppose me today, where key in
parliament votes when Fiscal Compact agreements were closed and
ratified," the premier argued.
"If in the coming eight months we do half of what we got
done in our first eight months in office we'll win game, set and
match," Renzi said, and went on to list his government's
reforms, both planned and partially achieved.
"Taxes, justice, public administration, Constitutional and
electoral law reform - we will have changed Italy definitively,"
the premier said.
"This parliament really has a great opportunity to rewrite
the rules of the game over the coming years," he added.
On the issue of snap elections, which some political
analysts and pundits say the young premier is aiming for, Renzi
denied all rumors.
"It would be in my interest to cash in on extremely strong
voter consensus…and identify an executive group that is closer
and more loyal to me," he said in an apparent jab at a minority
within his party, which has been strenuously opposed to measures
contained in his Jobs Act.
"But if we want to respect the interests of the Italian
people, then it doesn't make sense to change 300 MPs when what
we need is to change the country. So no, no early elections".
And while Renzi's row with new European Commission
President Jean-Claude Juncker rolled on - with Juncker saying
Wednesday he has "no problem" with the Italian premier but wants
to defend the Commission from "sabotage" - Renzi invoked the
protection of an unlikely European ally, German Chancellor
Angela Merkel.
"Merkel loves Italy and summoned me to Berlin for a meeting
while Enrico Letta was still premier," said Renzi. "In order to
get the results we want, we must change Italy. The Chancellor
and I think alike on this and she recognizes that Italy can
aspire to a continental leadership role".
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