Personality parties only work once-Prodi

(ANSA) - Rome, September 20 - Twice premier and former European Commission President Romano Prodi has said that parties based on the personality of a charismatic leader can only be effective in the short term when commenting on Matteo Renzi's split with the Democratic Party (PD).
    "Personal parties work the first time, there are problems when they are repeated," Prodi told Friday's edition of La Repubblica. Ex-premier Renzi was frequently accused of trying to hold an autocratic command of the centre-left group when he was its leader, as well as of taking it too far to the right of the political spectrum.
    This week he quit the PD to form his own party, Italia Viva (Italy Alive), which has around 40 lawmakers in the Senate and the Lower House. Before leaving the PD, Renzi was instrumental in the party forming a pact with the 5-Star Movement (M5S) for a second government under Premier Giuseppe Conte after former interior minister and League leader Matteo Salvini pulled the plug on the first Conte executive last month. Renzi has said his new group will continue to support the government.
    Prodi said that Renzi's move was predictable and that he did not think it would have an impact on the new Conte executive.
    He said Conte's new government has a chance of going the distance if it tackles Italy's problems, including widespread tax evasion.