Ex-premier Matteo Renzi, the leader of the Democratic Party (PD), said Tuesday that squabbling within the centre left contributed to its poor showing in Sunday's local-election run-offs. "The continual exasperating controversies within the centre left do nothing but help the opposing side," Renzi said. "It has always been that way. But it is clear that if many people think the problem is only inside the PD, then someone else may win the elections". Renzi dismissed assertions that his failure to work on forming a coalition with parties on the left of the political spectrum, including PD splinter group MDP, contributed to the centre left's poor showing. "The debate on the coalition puts voters to sleep and it is not needed," Renzi said. "The coalition does not decide victory in itself. The candidate, the leader, the area are what decide defeat or victory in the run-offs.
"Coalitions are not a subject to entertain the Italians with for the next 12 month," he added, with general elections set to take place early in 2018 at the latest. "What they are interested in is what we do on taxes.
Coalitions fascinate those working in the political world". Renzi said the PD would not drop its backing for the 'ius soli' (Latin for law of the soil) bill on the grounds that many voters do not like the plan to grant Italian citizenship to migrant children born on Italian soil who have had at last five years of Italian schooling. "You can't throw into doubt a battle like the ius soli one," he said. "You can't change your mind because of a poll that says the Italian people are less in favour, a trend that is not linked to the (terrorist) attacks. "I don't drop an idea because of a poll, just like we did not drop the battle for civil rights, for the Jobs Act (labour reform), for (Milan) Expo (2015). We are capable of taking our responsibilities". Renzi also said that he supported the government's intervention to stop a disorderly failure of two medium-sized Veneto banks.
"(Premier Paolo) Gentiloni expressed the government's position very clearly - it was a legitimate, dutiful decision," Renzi said referring to Veneto Banca and Banca Popolare di Vicenza (BPVI), the good assets of which has been taken over by Intesa San Paolo. "I agree with him. It was legitimate and dutiful in that situation. "I hope that our MEP are capable of conducting a great battle so that the highly selective criteria of the Veneto banks is applied to institutes of other northern countries, such as the German ones".
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