Democratic party (PD) deputy leader
Maurizio Martina said Monday the anti-establishment 5-Star
Movement (M5S) and the rightwing populist League, which emerged
as the two winners from the March 4 general election, should try
to govern Italy and the PD would remain in opposition as a
minority.
"Dear (M5S leader Luigi) Di Maio and (League leader Matteo)
Salvini, take on your responsibilities," he said.
The PD, meanwhile, would "continue to serve citizens from the
opposition, in its role as parliamentary minority".
Martina said he would lead the PD in a caretaker capacity
after the resignation of ex-premier Matteo Renzi "with
the utmost collegiality".
He said Renzi, who was not present at the directorate
meeting, had filed his resignation "but I think it is important
that he should continue to work with me in these weeks that
separate us from the party assembly".
Renzi ha said his resignation will become effective when a
new government is formed from Italy's hung parliament.
Martina said next month's PD assembly should elect a
"commission for a project for a constituent and reorganisation
phase, instead of launching the congress" after its dreadful
showing in the March 4 general election.
Martina ended his first speech to the PD directorate after
Renzi's announced resignation following the election debacle by
quoting Winston Churchill on the party's hoped-for comeback.
"Success is never definitive, defeat is never fatal; it's the
courage to continue that counts," he said.
"That's it, I ask you to continue with courage, together.
Italy still needs us".
The PD scored an all-time low of 19% on March 4, dropping far
behind the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M%S) as Italy's
top party.
The M5S, which swept the south of Italy on vows to introduce
a basic income and fight corruption and red tape, scored 32%,
making it the top individual party - though the centre right
coalition got 37%, becoming the top coalition.
Within the centre right, the rightwing populist League surged
to 18%, overtaking Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia (FI) party
which got 14%.
Also at the PD directorate meeting, Transport Minister
Graziano Delrio told the directorate that the PD
would remain in opposition, "serious and responsible".
Delrio, a PD bigwig, said that after the general-election
debacle, "we received a postcard, clear and marked, from the
voters. We will be where the voters placed us: in the
opposition".
This opposition, he said, would be "serious, responsible and
constructive".
He said that when Italians realize that the winning parties'
election promises are "unachievable, the voters will call them
to account".
Delrio added: "we are still the second Italian party, we will
stay united."
He said Martina had a "full mandate" to steer the party and
in order to restart, the party needed "rigorous analyses" like
Martina's.
"We must tell the electors and the elected that the PD is
still here".
Another PD bigwig, Justice Minister Andrea Orlando, told the
PD directorate he and his supporters wanted "some guarantees"
that Renzi would carry out his resignation pledge.
"Collegiality is essential...but I don't understand the
residue of the previous ruling class...in order to be part of a
new phase this evolution would be necessary, perhaps," he said.
"Don't look at us askance if we ask for some guarantees,"
said Orlando, the head of a PD minority.
Renzi has said he is quitting but the resignation will
become effective only after the next government is formed,
currently only a prospect in Italy's hung parliament.
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