Ex-premier Matteo Renzi, the
leader of the new, centrist Italia Viva (IV) party, on Wednesday
blasted a criminal probe into Open, a Florence-based foundation
set up to finance his political initiatives.
"Who decides what a party is? The political world or the
judiciary?," Renzi, who left the centre-left Democratic Party
(PD), said via Facebook.
"At this point a decisive contest for our democracy is being
played out," said the former PD leader.
"At this point we will call upon all the levels of the public
institutions to establish whether parties are what is laid down
in the Constitution, or they are what the Florentine magistrates
have decided to define them as.
"Two Florentine judges have decided that Open is not a
foundation, it's a party.
"And so the rules change retroactively".
Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, the leader of the
anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S), reiterated his call
for a parliamentary commission into the funding of political
parties.
"It's a priority for us," he said.
"We'll ask for support to deliver it as soon as possible".
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