Fitto wants 'renewal' after FI defeat

(ANSA) - Rome, November 24 - The center-right Forza Italia (FI) party of ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi must be revamped after its resounding defeat in regional elections at the weekend, FI MP Raffaele Fitto said Monday.
    Candidates backed by Premier Matteo Renzi's centre-left Democratic Party (PD) triumphed in Sunday's regional elections in Emilia-Romagna and Calabria, amid record low turnout. Stefano Bonaccini won in Emilia-Romagna with over 49% of the vote, compared to almost 30% for the separatist, anti-migrant Northern League's Alan Fabbri, who was backed by centre-right parties. In Calabria, Mario Gerardo Oliverio was set to win with over 61%, with most of the count complete, with the centre-right's Wanda Ferro taking around 23% of the votes.
    The League was the only centre-right party to make big gains in Sunday's regional elections, claiming over 20% of the vote in Emilia-Romagna, more than twice as much as ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia (FI).
    "At the very least, we must get rid of all our candidates in order to get off to a new start and a true phase of renewal," said Fitto, the one-time confidant of Berlusconi.
    The latter said earlier this month that he would work on "relaunching and refounding FI" and that he has "recovered unity" with Fitto.
    "I sincerely hope no one will dare minimize or seek alibis for the dramatic results in Calabria and Emilia Romagna," Fitto went on.
    "Enough of this ambiguous, incomprehensible political line, one that oscillates between extremes of total submission to the (center-left) government and outright insults," he added.