Premier Matteo Renzi on Wednesday
forecast an active weekend ahead, from cabinet reforms Friday to
lobbying at the European Council Saturday for a senior post for
Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini.
Renzi has called a cabinet meeting for Friday to deal with
an array of reform proposals, including plans to untangle the
country's bureaucracy and promote growth.
The government is working on its thousand-day packet of
structural reforms it hopes will win EU flexibility on
investment for growth.
"At work on #thousand days. #Italy is starting up again"
the dynamic reformist premier tweeted on his @matteorenzi
account.
The government on Friday plans to submit a 12-point justice
reform package designed to simplify civil law, halving a huge
backlog of cases to remove a major block on foreign investment
in Italy.
These reforms would also make civil judges liable for
negligence or malfeasance, and restore false accounting to the
status of a full-blown crime from the misdemeanour,
non-custodial status ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi had reduced it
to in order to help address public concern over waves of
corruption scandals.
Improving Italy's current electoral law, which has been
ruled unconstitutional, is perhaps one the most significant
battles that lies ahead for Renzi, who has frequently referred
to his "1,000-day" reform program for Italy.
From his cabinet meeting, Renzi will then attend Saturday's
meeting of top European Union officials where Renzi will
continue to promote Italy's nominee, Mogherini, for the job of
EU high commissioner for foreign affairs, replacing incumbent
Catherine Ashton.
As well on Wednesday, Renzi's interior minister scored a
major victory in Brussels, where he secured an agreement for a
new version of the European Union's Frontex border control
agency to replace Italy's Mare Nostrum migrant search-and-rescue
operation.
"Europe has rewarded Italy's efforts to save the lives of
migrants at sea," Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said after
meeting with EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom.
"Frontex Plus has been green-lit, and it will substitute
Mare Nostrum," Alfano said. "This is an important day for Europe
and for Italy".
Italy has been requesting EU assistance ever since it
launched Mare Nostrum in 2013, after some 400 migrants perished
in two boat disasters off the coast of Sicily.
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