A leftwing minority in the Democratic Party (PD) led by former PD leader Pier Luigi Bersani and former House whip Roberto Speranza said Tuesday they had effectively split from the centre-left group and would take no part in further meetings or the party congress later this year. The 'Bersanians' chided Puglia Governor Michele Emiliano for deciding to stay in the PD despite his criticism of ex-leader Matteo Renzi, who he will challenge in upcoming primaries.
Emiliano confirmed he would run for leader and said that Renzi is the "most satisfied at all possible splits". Emiliano told the pD directorate that Tuscany Governor Enrico Rossi and Speranza were "decent people, of great human breadth, who have been offended and cudgeled by the stubborn refusal of all mediation".
The PD split has long been brewing and came to a head Sunday when ex-premier Renzi quit as leader to force a fast track to a congress, ignoring rebels' pleas for a longer process. Bersani, Speranza and others like Tuscany Governor Enrico Rossi have long criticised Renzi's shifting the party towards the centre and his allegedly high-handed treatment of dissenting voices. More recently, they have criticised his alleged lack of reflection after a crushing December defeat in a Constitutional reform referendum, which led to his resignation as Italian premier.
According to pollsters the splinter group would get between 5% and 8% in a future general election. The rebels have said they will continue to back Premier Paolo Gentiloni, a PD member see as close to Renzi, and the former foreign minister in Renzi's government.
Renzi earlier said he was sorry the left-wing minority was set to split because of differences with him, while adding that it is time to move forward.
"If some people want to leave our community, this decision pains us," Renzi said in his e-news newsletter.
"Our watchword remains come, not go away. Nevertheless, it is good to be clear: we cannot once again block the debate of the party and, above all, of the country. It's time to get moving
again".
On Sunday the ex-premier quit as head of the PD at a party assembly in order to trigger the process for a new congress, via which he is expected to seek a fresh mandate.
Renzi said that he would not let the threat of a split "blackmail" him into backing down and not standing for the leadership again.
Former PD Lower House whip Roberto Speranza and other members of a group led by Bersani did not attend a PD directorate meeting Tuesday because they did not intend to be part of a committee elected there to take the PD to a congress.
Renzi resigned as premier in December after almost three years in office following the rejection of his flagship
Constitutional reform in a referendum.
Several prominent members of the minority campaigned for a No vote in the referendum.
Renzi's place was taken by former foreign minister Gentiloni, also a PD member.
The minority led by Bersani and Speranza said Tuesday they had effectively split from the centre-left group and would take no part in further meetings or the party congress later this year.
The 'Bersanians' criticised Puglia Governor Michele Emiliano for deciding to stay in the PD despite his criticism of Renzi, whom he will challenge in upcoming primaries ahead of the congress.
Speranza said after his PD minority split that "we are going forward on the path of the construction of a new Italian centre-left political subject aiming to correct those policies that have driven away from our field many workers, young people and teachers". "We must start a new path," he told ANSA. Speranza added that Emiliano had chosen to stand for leader in "Renzi's Party".
The PD split has long been brewing and came to a head Sunday when ex-premier Renzi quit as leader to force a fast track to a
congress, ignoring rebels' pleas for a longer process.
Bersani, Speranza and others like Tuscany Governor Enrico Rossi have long criticised Renzi's shifting the party towards the centre and his allegedly high-handed treatment of dissenting MPs.
More recently, they have criticised his alleged lack of reflection after the crushing December defeat in the referendum.
According to pollsters the splinter group would get between 5% and 8% in a future general election.
The rebels have said they will continue to back Premier Gentiloni, a PD member seen as close to Renzi, and the former foreign minister in Renzi's government.
One of the other conditions the rebels had put to Renzi was to support Gentiloni until the natural end of the legislative tern next February. He rejected that too.
Also Tuesday, Renzi said he was leaving for "a few days" in California where he hoped to "learn from those who are better at it how to create employment, jobs, growth in a world that is changing, in the digital world, in the world of innovation."
Renzi said he was looking forward to a big meeting at the ex-Fiat factory Lingotto conference centre in Turin next month, leading up to a party congress, to
relaunch his ideas for the PD.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
