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Tag: Matteo Renzi

  • Matteo Renzi: Does Italy’s Young PM Mean Business?

    In Italian politics, it seems to be a literal representation of, “out with the old and in with the new”.

    Matteo Renzi, who was sworn in as Italy’s prime minister, is seen as a fresh-faced youngster. He is in fact the youngest Italian prime minister ever sworn in. At age 39, he’s not exactly a child, but some skeptics continue to wonder if Renzi has the maturity and experience to meet the serious challenges faced by the Italian people.

    “It is a hard and difficult task,” said Renzi in a recent Tweet, “but we are Italy, we’ll succeed. A pledge: to remain true to ourselves, free and simple.”

    Renzi’s cabinet is also a matter of much buzz. Half the members are women, and with an average age of 47.8, it is the youngest cabinet in Italy’s history.

    Renzi was congratulated by French President Francois Hollande and even given an invite to Paris for talks.

    Some may look at Renzi and his young cabinet and be reminded of JFK’s “Camelot”, when during the young American president’s early term, many were surprised not only by his youth in comparison to previous leadership, but the youth of those around him.

    Conventional wisdom in politics, even now, seems to be that it’s a realm to be dominated by old men.

    The youthful but determined Renzi does not seem to think age is the determining factor in whether or not one is able to do a job: Rather knowledge and ability.

    This is perhaps why even though much of Renzi’s cabinet is young, he opted to let 68-year-old Pier Carlo Padoan among his ranks as a finance minister. By all accounts Padoan is a brilliant economist who was best suited to the task.

    Italy is still struggling to shake off the effects of a devastating global recession. The unemployment rate is at 12.7 percent, a record for the nation. The Italian people are tired of posturing and the failure of its leaders to keep promises to bring much needed change to the country.

    Renzi and his cabinet are fresh blood that has been pumped into the heart of Italy. He has the support of the majority of parliament, but their decision-making isn’t entirely reliable.

    There is concern that if Renzi fails, it will open the door for extremist Italian political figures, such as the anti-establishment Five Star movement, waiting in the wings.

    Renzi understands the pressure that is on himself and his cabinet. Said Renzi, “We are not only putting our careers on the line but also our heads.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Matteo Renzi To Lead New Italian Government

    Last Friday, Enrico Letta resigned as Italy’s prime minister after he was ousted from the position in a vote engineered by Matteo Renzi, his party rival, for delaying reform programs. As a result, President Giorgio Napolitano has tasked Renzi to take over Letta’s position. Renzi will be sworn in to be Italy’s prime minister within the next two days.

    Renzi has been the mayor of Florence since 2009. At just 39 years old, he will be Italy’s the youngest prime minister ever. At his age, he is just 2 months younger than Benito Mussolini, who ruled as Italy’s prime minister in 1922.

    With the news, Italy is willing to gamble on the young politician who is known to have a fresh perspective when it comes to the political caste. Renzi is also known as “The Scrapper” or “Il Rottamatore” for his ability to act on scrapping Italy’s political formation. He has very little political baggage and has the demeanor of a simple man with great ambition. He has high hopes for Italy’s reform, but still remains untested with the people as he will be appointed to position rather than being voted in place. Renzi will be the 3rd prime minister to be appointed.

    Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta steps down

    Renzi hopes that he has the support of the Italian people in his plans for implementing reforms faster in order to speed up the economy’s growth.

    Italians have given their piece on the issue. Some support Renzi’s innovative ideas and think that he has the determination to follow through with his plans for Italy. However, others are a bit doubtful of his policies and the way he got the position of prime minister.

    Renzi has now been given the power to make changes in Italy’s political system, and Italians just have to wait for results and hope that the new Italian government will have answers for problems the country is currently facing.

    Who is Matteo Renzi?

    Image via YouTube

  • Enrico Letta Resigns: Renzi’s Eyes Are On The Prize

    Enrico Letta officially resigned from the Italian Prime Minister position this week.

    This move follows a discontent by many in past months regarding his indecisive actions and slow-moving reforms. The Democratic Party agreed that changes in government and new reforms are crucial to maintain power until 2018, thus implying that he should resign. Foreseeing this moment, Letta made a last ditch effort against opposition Wednesday by presenting a new agenda for reform, defending his government’s economic record, and claiming the country was already realizing signs of recovery.

    The PD majority wasn’t buying it.

    In his Thursday night statement, Letta said: “Following the decisions taken today in the national committee of the Democratic party, I have informed the president, Giorgio Napolitano, of my desire to go to the Quirinale tomorrow to tender my resignation as prime minister.”

    Now that Italy’s President has accepted Letta’s resignation, it looks as if the position may next be filled by Matteo Renzi.

    Renzi, also a Democratic Party leader, is a law graduate who began his political career in his hometown as provincial president in 2004 and then became mayor in 2009. He then gained notoriety at the national level by sharing the public’s resentment of the ruling class. Advocating that the political class be entirely nixed, he earned the nickname “The Scrapper”.

    Thursday, he lived up to this title when he scrapped Letta by moving to bring about new reforms.

    After expressing an aim to pull the eurozone’s third-largest economy “out of the quagmire”, the PD’s national committee voted to back this motion. The charismatic mayor of Florence now stands to become the youngest post-war premier in Italy’s history. He also would be the third in less than three years who has been appointed – not voted – into office.

    2008 was the last year Italy held a successful election.

    During that year, Silvio Berlusconi, the billionaire tycoon who had commanded Italian politics for 20 years, took the position of PM for his third time. In 2011, he resigned, following pressure in the midst of economic woes and was expelled from his parliament position after convictions including tax fraud and sex with a minor.

    As Renzi is on deck, his political contemporaries are already issuing cautionary advice.

    Angelino Alfano, leader of the New Centre Right (NCD) party in coalition with Letta, said that if Renzi’s executive did not offer the right “political conditions”, they would “say no to the birth of a new government”.

    Vincenzo Scarpetta of the Open Europe thinktank, also weighed in, saying: “It remains to be seen whether the move will make a real difference – and there are risks involved.” He went on to add, “Renzi is likely to face the same political logjam which ultimately cost Letta his job, and will be exposed to fierce criticism, especially from the Five Star Movement, for being the third prime minister in a row to take power without winning an election.”

    Acknowledging accusations of excessive ambition, Renzi responded by saying: “Today we have to have a huge ambition, which is to think that Italy cannot exist for the coming months and coming years in a situation of uncertainty, instability, quagmire, hesitation.”

    Although one state TV poll found that 53 percent of Italians would favor a Renzi-led government, other Italian polls indicate a majority disapproval about his rise to power in this way. While the 39-year-old politician was far from furtive about his ambition, it was thought he would gain the position via election, not a staffetta (relay).

    Perhaps Renzi’s ambition could be best expressed by a Tony Blair quote he admires.

    “I adore one of his sayings,” he once shared: “I love all the traditions of my party, except one: that of losing elections.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons