Ex-premier Enrico Letta said
Wednesday that he needs to take time to consider whether he
wants to be the next leader of the centre-left Democratic Party
(PD).
Lazio Governor Nicola Zingaretti quit as leader earlier this
month, complaining of an "unending stream" of criticism from
within the party.
The party has fallen sharply in the opinion polls since he
resigned and several PD bigwigs have asked Letta to take over.
Letta has stepped back from frontline politics since then PD
leader Matteo Renzi brought down his broad coalition government
in 2014 in order to take over the helm of government himself.
Renzi has since split from the PD to form his own centrist
party, Italia Viva (IV).
"I am grateful for the quantity of messages of encouragement
that I am receiving," Letta said via Twitter.
"The PD is in my heart and these appeals touch the deepest
chords.
"But this unexpected acceleration has truly taken me by surprise
and I'll need 48 hours to reflect well. And then to decide".
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