Renzi calls for unity

(ANSA) - Rome, March 13 - Ex-premier Matteo Renzi called for unity and blasted the left-wingers who recently split from the Democratic Party (PD) as he launched his campaign to be re-elected leader of the centre-left group in Turin on Sunday "Some tried to destroy the PD, but they should accept the fact that it existed before and it will exist after us," Renzi said at the end of a three-day conference.
    "The match starts now".
    Renzi reaffirmed his support for the government of Premier Paolo Gentiloni, his PD colleague.
    Gentiloni, who took over the helm of government after Renzi quit in December following defeat in a referendum over his Constitutional reform, refused to speculate on possible future alliances for the PD. "My job at the moment is to lead the government," Gentiloni said.