Premier Paolo Gentiloni's
centre-left Democratic Party (PD) is setting the rules for its
upcoming congress at a directorate meeting on Friday.
Ex-premier Matteo Renzi is being challenged for the party's
leadership by Justice Minister Andrea Orlando, Puglia Governor
Michele Emiliano and Carlotta Salerno, a Turin party chief.
Renzi supporters are pushing for leadership primaries to be
held on April 9 but the other candidates want more time, sources
said.
A group of left-wingers headed by former PD chief Pier Luigi
Bersani broke away from the PD this week due to differences with
Renzi.
Renzi, who is on a fact-finding trip to the United States
about growth and job creation, resigned as premier in December
after almost three years in office following the rejection of
his flagship Constitutional reform in a referendum.
Renzi, who has been accused of arrogance, trying to make the
PD a personalised party and moving it too far to the centre, was
replaced as premier by former foreign minister Gentiloni.
Polls released Friday by the Ixè Institute for State
broadcaster RAI said that the PD had lost 2.3 percentage points
of support because of the split, taking it down to 28.1%.
That means its lead over the anti-establishment 5-Star
Movement (M5S) is now extremely small, with M5S gaining 0.8 of a
point to reach 27.8%.
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