Democratic Party (PD) leader Nicola
Zingaretti said Tuesday that the government must move up a gear
after Monday's results from a round of regional elections and a
referendum in which the public approved a cut in the number of
Italian lawmakers were seen as strengthening Premier Giuseppe
Conte's executive.
"We think that a new phase should be opened, oriented towards
getting things done and concreteness," Zingaretti told a press
conference.
"A new government agenda must be launched".
He said, for example, that former interior minister and League
leader Matteo Salvini's controversial
migrant and security decrees, which feature huge fines for NGO
ships defying entry bans, should be overhauled at the earliest
cabinet meeting possible.
The Italian public approved a cut in the number of
parliamentarians in referendum staged on Sunday and Monday while
a round of regional elections ended in in a tie, with the centre
left and the opposition centre right .wining three each.
In the referendum, people were asked whether to approve a law
that amends the Italian Constitution to reduce the number of MPs
in parliament, from 630 to 400 in the Chamber of Deputies and
from 315 to 200 in the Senate.
The yes vote prevailed with 69.64%, compared to 30.36% for the
no vote.
The fact that the centre-right opposition failed to land a
decisive victory in the regional elections was widely seen as
strengthening Conte's government, which is based in an alliance
between the centre-left Democratic Party and the 5-Star Movement
(M5S), along with other smaller groups.
"Until a few days ago, the commentators were saying my job was
on the line," Conte said Tuesday.
"I never felt that my job was on the line.
"Today they say I'm unmoveable, but I don't fell unmoveable".
Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, whose 5-Star Movement (M5S) was
the driving force of the campaign for this reform, hailed a
"historic result".
"We now have a normal parliament with 345 fewer posts and fewer
privileges," he said.
"This is politics that gives a signal to the citizens. "It would
never have happened without the 5-Star Movement.
"I'm proud of this result," he added, speaking to ANSA. "Today
is a starting point, not a final destination"
But the M5S is also in turmoil over its poor showing in the
regional elections.
"I don't think our friends in the M5S expected brilliant results
in the regional elections, on the basis of past experience,"
Conte said.
"Now they are in a process of transition that will continue
until their political effort is revived.
"But they have grounds for consolation as they were behind the
Constitutional referendum".
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