Outgoing Democratic Party (PD) leader
Enrico Letta told a meeting of the centre-left group's
directorate on Thursday that he will not stick around as he
wants to make wave for a new generation to take the helm as soon
as possible.
Ex-premier Letta announced that he would stay in charge until
the party holds a congress and elects a new leader after its
disappointing showing in last month's general election, when it
got around 19% of the vote.
The centre-left alliance that the PD headed was soundly beaten
by the right coalition spearheaded by Giorgia Meloni's Brothers
of Italy (FdI) party.
"I thank those who have asked me to undertake a long-term
commitment (to be leader) but I think it would by a mistake for
you and the party," Letta said.
"I started my political activism when I was young and I was a
minister in 1998.
"It's right the our party fields a younger class of politicians
capable of challenging the government of Giorgia Meloni, a young
woman".
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