Offshore drilling referendum fails

(ANSA) - Rome, April 18 - Sunday's referendum on whether to abolish an extension in off-shore drilling concessions failed to reach quorum, according to final results released by the interior ministry on Monday. The ministry said 15,806,788 people voted, 31.19% of those who had the right to - well below the quorum of 50% plus one voter. It said 13,334,764 (85.84%) voted in favour of scrapping the extensions, while 2,198,805 (14.16%) voted no.
    Premier Matteo Renzi, who had said he would not vote and hoped the referendum failed so jobs were not endangered, expressed satisfaction. "The winners are the workers," Renzi said. "The message of this referendum is that being demagogic does not pay. "This referendum could have been avoided. We tried to avoid it so as not to waste 300 million euros".
    The referendum was proposed by nine regional governments who expressed concern about the costs in environmental and safety terms of the extension of 30-year concessions within 12 miles of the coast until their resources are exhausted.