Democratic Party (PD) leader and
ex-premier Matteo Renzi on Friday denied the ruling center-left
party is in crisis with the resurgence of the center-right Forza
Italia (FI) of ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi.
"I am surprised by the debate on the PD's crisis and the
success of Forza Italia", said Renzi, whose party dropped again
in the latest Index Research weekly poll Friday.
"Let's hope that we will be able to reason soon, with the
election, on numbers rather than feelings", the ex-premier told
the radio Anch'io program of State radio Rai 1.
Renzi also said there would be no further talk on alliances
and that the new Rosatellum election law, which encourages
coalitions and assigns two-thirds of seats with proportional
representation, will benefit the PD rather than FI.
"We will choose the best candidates who will make the
difference ".
Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano, leader of the centrist AP
group that is part of the government coalition, ruled out any
alliance with the center right.
Meanwhile Senate Speaker Pietro Grasso who quit the ruling PD
caucus for the mixed group last month, said he has not decided
yet whether he will run as the leader of a left-wing coalition
in upcoming elections.
Grasso left the PD caucus last month after the PD pushed the
new election law through parliament with eight confidence votes,
five of them in the Senate.
The PD recently fared poorly in Sicilian elections in an
alliance with the centrist AP party, its junior partner in
government.
It is looking to build alliances to the left but the MDP
splinter group is pushing for Renzi to go before forging an
alliance.
The PD has now called off any colaition-building efforts that
would include the MDP.
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