Premier Matteo Renzi said Thursday
he does not want to see the rise of a new centrist group to
combat rightwing populism.
"I believe in the two-block system. That's why I believe in
the Democratic Party (PD)," Renzi said in a #Matteorisponde
question-and-answer session via his Twitter account.
He added his government was ready to stiffen the laws
against corruption after a long series of graft scandals, some
of which have hit members of his PD.
"We are ready (to pass tougher rules)," Renzi said. "We are
not scared... We have already passed tough rules but we are
always ready to do more".
He added that, while graft cases irked him, it was not
possible to write off the whole political class as corrupt.
However while some are "loafing", his administration is
determined to kick-start the national economy.
"We are here...to unblock everything that can be unblocked
and to give the country a sign that things are on the move
again," he said.
"Sometimes, it's true, some are tempted to loaf around. But
we are moving forward...we want to give Italy the enthusiasm it
deserves. I am fed up with those who talk the talk but when the
time comes, they pull back in fear".
He also blasted the idea of closing borders to shut out
asylum seekers.
"We are trying to recover the country's credibility (...)
while we broaden horizons with broadband, others build walls and
close borders - something that is out of check with the times
and totally disconnected from any form of reality," he said.
Italy's economic development depends on expanding its
broadband network according to government plans, the premier
said.
"We are staking part of the country's development (on
broadband) - we mustn't just invest in traditional
infrastructure but also in overcoming the digital divide," Renzi
said.
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