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.
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