Premier Matteo Renzi told The New
York Times on Tuesday it is a time for action in Italy.
"I'm the youngest leader Italy has ever had," the
40-year-old premier said, answering questions in English.
"I'm using my energy and my dynamism to change my country.
I think the time has come to write a new page for Italy. I can't
wait for the old problems of the past".
Renzi went on to call his Jobs Act labour reform "the most
leftist thing I've done", saying it abolished what was a kind of
"labour apartheid in Italy".
Being a leftist in Italy today means "giving more rights to
young people, giving possibilities to a new generation", the
premier added.
He also compared his vision for his Democratic Party (PD)
to that of the UK's Labour Party under former prime minister
Tony Blair. The challenge then was to transform Labour from a
loser into a winner, Renzi said.
While Renzi spoke to the authoritative American paper,
rebels within his own PD who have yet to reconcile to the Jobs
Act - which they say turns back the clock on workers' rights
instead of creating jobs - continued rattling sabers.
The bone of contention this time is the premier's planned
electoral law reform, the so-called Italicum.
On Monday, the PD voted to approve the bill as it stands
after a Lower House reading.
But a dissenting minority did not take part in the meeting
and vowed to continue to fight the bill when it returns to the
Senate for its third reading.
The Italicum is the result of a deal between Renzi and
former center-right premier Silvio Berlusconi, a fact which has
produced discomfort within the ranks of both leaders' parties
since it was first announced early in 2014.
The bill would, among other provisions, award bonus seats
to the party that garners at least 40% of the vote to ensure it
has a working majority in parliament.
A run-off round of voting will take place to decide who
gets the bonus seats if no party crosses the 40% threshold.
Italy's current dysfunctional electoral law - the
so-called pigsty law - has been struck down by the
Constitutional Court, and has been blamed for contributing to
the inconclusive outcome to the 2013 general election.
The Constitutional Court ruled then that a pure
proportional system should take its place until parliament
introduced a replacement, and PD dissidents on Tuesday took up
that opinion to strike at the premier's bill.
"If I have to allow a bad election reform or a bad
Constitutional reform, I prefer to vote with the proportional
system," leading PD dissenter Alfredo D'Attorre told La7
television.
D'Attorre added that suggestions early elections would be
needed if the Italicum were scuppered were threats "made with a
water pistol" as "Renzi would not get back in government" if
this happened.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
