Senior members of Premier
Matteo Renzi's centre-left Democratic Party (PD) ruled out the
prospect of a split Friday when voting starts next week for a
new president, amid calls for a "front" to stop the next head of
State being the result of a deal with Silvio Berlusconi.
Deep divisions have emerged within the PD over several
government policies, with a group of minority rebels openly
defying the party line on some issues.
These include the government's bill for a new election
law and its planned revamp of Italy's political institutions -
both of which are the result of the so-called Nazareno pact that
Renzi struck last year with Berlusconi, the leader of the
opposition centre-right Forza Italia (FI) party.
Many politicians who are hostile to the Nazareno pact,
including several PD members, believe a similar deal is in the
pipeline over the next head of State.
On Friday Nichi Vendola, the leader of the small Left,
Ecology and Freedom (SEL) party, proposed an alliance to prevent
the next president being elected on the basis of a deal between
Renzi and three-time premier Berlusconi.
"An anti-Nazareno front is needed," said Vendola, the
governor of the southern Puglia region.
Rebel PD MP Pippo Civati also said he was in favour of an
alternative candidate to go against a possible Renzi-Berlusconi
runner.
"I'm hoping for an NN, non Nazareno, candidate," Civati
said.
"That candidate may be able to get the necessary votes,
without being the candidate of this or that group.
"All those against (the Renzi-Berlusconi pact) should
propose a president who is not the product of the Nazareno
(deal)".
Deputy PD leader Lorenzo Guerini, however, said he was
confident the party could agree to get behind a candidate during
talks before the start of voting.
"It won't be necessary to patch anything up," Guerini said.
"The PD will be able to present a united front".
Meanwhile Roberto Fico, a senior MP from 5-Star Movement
(M5S), said Friday the anti-establishment group was waiting for
Renzi to give it a list of his possible presidential candidates
before deciding who it will back to be the next head of State.
"Our approach is clear, we're waiting for a list of four
names from the premier and the biggest party (in parliament),"
Fico told reporters when asked about the prospect of the M5S
being part of the "anti-Nazareno front".
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