Italian Premier Matteo Renzi has
embarked on a course of action that is "laudable and
encouraging", the Times wrote on Tuesday.
In a comment titled 'The Renzi Way" the newspaper owned by
Rupert Murdoch lauded the reformist agenda of Italy's
40-year-old head of government, comparing him to former British
prime minister and Labour leader Tony Blair.
The "scrapper" has challenged the "dogmas" of the more
traditional left and opted to manoeuvre from the centre, the
Times said, citing fiscal measures and provisions for accessing
credit for business as well as controversial labour and
constitutional reforms.
"Like Silvio Berlusconi...he has tried to promote growth
with policies favourable to business, but unlike Berlusconi he
doesn't control 90% of television channels, nor is he involved
in ongoing scandals," the paper wrote.
"Greek observers should look at Italy with envy," concluded
the Times, drawing a parallel between the two southern
Mediterranean countries that are both grappling with "structural
problems" and which both had technocrat governments before
entrusting themselves to young premiers from the left.
However, "while Renzi has channelled his energy into a
broad programme of moderate policies aimed at mending the fabric
of the Italian state Alexis Tsipras has pursued a much more
destructive path" - at least until "his apparent recent
conversion to structural reform".
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