Italy must change now or never says Renzi

(see related) (ANSA) - Rome, September 26 - Italy must change and this is why a December 4 referendum on his government's constitutional reform law is key, Premier Matteo Renzi wrote in his online newsletter Monday. "This (country) can't remain a hostage of the usual suspects, the bog that has hindered growth over the past 20 years," Renzi wrote. "That's why the constitutional referendum (to be held December 4 from 07:00 t0 23:00) is fundamental. Its results do not depend so much on me, but on all of you," the premier wrote.
    The reform includes reducing the Senate into a leaner assembly of local-government representatives with limited powers to cut costs and streamline Italy's notoriously ponderous method of passing legislation. It also does away with the National Council on Economy and Labour (CNEL) - an organ with 64 councillors plus a president - and completes the elimination of Italy's 110 provinces on the premise they are redundant and expensive.
    "The issue is simple on its merits," the young reformist premier wrote.
    "Do we want to do away with the perfectly bicameral system (blamed for decades of gridlock) or not? Do we want to cut down on the number of lawmakers or not? Do we want to reduce institutional expenses? Do we want to abolish the CNEL? Do we want to change the relationship between central government and regions, which has caused so many jurisdictional problems over the past 15 years?" However the referendum can be boiled down to a simpler concept, Renzi wrote. "Do we want a simpler, more stable country... or surrender ourselves to... a Milan LLC that controls the internal democracy of one of the country's largest parties, with administrators bound by private contracts and liable to penalties?" he said in reference to Casaleggo Associates, a company owned by the late Gianroberto Casaleggio, who co-founded the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S). The M5S, currently Italy's second political group after Renzi's center-left Democratic Party (PD), is campaigning for a 'No' vote on the referendum.
    "It's here and now, or never," Renzi added. "We won't get another chance".