PD bulwark agst populism - Renzi (5)

(ANSA) - Rome, October 11 - Those who attack the ruling centre-left democratic Party (PD) weaken the only "bulwark against populism," PD leader Matteo Renzi said Wednesday, citing as populists the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, former centre-right premier Silvio Berlusconi and the anti-euro, anti-migrant Northern League (LN). Ex-premier Renzi said only the PD could save Italy from a victory by an alliance between Berlusconi and LN leader Matteo Salvini, or from a victory by the M5S. Renzi went on to say the PD's goal was full employment and the way to create jobs was to cut taxes, the "most revolutionary" thing that a leftwing party can do.
    On the PD-led government's controversial use of confidence votes to push through an election-law bill, Renzi recalled that postwar Christian Democrat statesman Alcide De Gasperi used confidence votes for key policies.
    He said that accusations that the so-called Rosatellum bill was in fact a 'Fascistellum' were "absurd".