Grasso insists he leads LeU, not D'Alema

(ANSA) - Rome, December 11 - Senate Speaker Pietro Grasso on Sunday presented the symbol of the new leftwing Free and Equal (LeU) party that he will be the premier candidate for at the general election set to be held early in 2018. The former national anti-mafia prosecutor dismissed a suggestion by Democratic Party (PD) leader Matteo Renzi that ex-premier Massimo D'Alema could be the real leader, behind the scenes, of the new group and not him.
    "I have been heading judges and trials all of my life," Grasso said.
    "I can lead a party. You'll see". He also said that the future for ex-premier Renzi "may not be very rosy".
    "When there are 18 million people who are poor it is evident that you have to reconstruct the left and then the country," he said.