Most of the leaders of minority
factions in Matteo Renzi's ruling Democratic Party (PD) on
Wednesday declined to sign a petition asking for a referendum on
the government's Constitutional reform, saying that according to
parliamentary etiquette it should be up to the opposition alone
to file such petitions. "If the majority does so it smacks of
someone passing a law and then asking for a plebiscite on it, a
risk we want to avoid". Renzi has staked his political future on
winning the referendum, saying he will resign if he loses it.
The constitutional reform revamps Italy's political machinery to
make it cheaper and easier to operate. Among other things, it
transforms the Senate into a leaner assembly of local-government
representatives with fewer powers. Among the PD minority figures
to reject signing the petition was former PD leader Pier Luigi
Bersani.
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