Ex-premier Matteo Renzi, who quit Sunday as leader of the split-threatened Democratic Party (PD), said Tuesday 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." On the looming PD split, he said "farewells are painful but we're moving forward...they can defeat me but not eliminate me".
The watchword, he said, "remains 'come', not 'leave', but discussion in the party and above all in the country cannot be blocked.
Renzi said he was looking forward to a big meeting at the Lingotto in Turin next month, leading up to a party congress, to relaunch his ideas for the PD.
A dissenting leftwing minority in the PD is on the verge of splitting after Renzi ignored their pleas to postpone the party congress and back Premier Paolo Gentiloni until the end of the legislative term in a year's time.
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