By Reuters Staff
3 Min Read
ROME (Reuters) - Former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta urged the Democratic Party (PD) to end infighting and come together before the next national election as he took up the leadership of the troubled centre-left group on Sunday.
FILE PHOTO: Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta gestures during a news conference at Chigi Palace in Rome, February 12, 2014. REUTERS/Remo Casilli
His appointment comes after former party secretary Nicola Zingaretti quit abruptly saying he was “ashamed” of internal wrangling, leaving the PD, which supports Mario Draghi’s national unity government, in turmoil.
“Our politics should be summarised in two terms that seem very far from each other: soul and screwdriver”, Letta, 54, said in his speech before his appointment as party secretary.
3 Min Read
ROME (Reuters) - Former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta announced on Friday he would seek the leadership of the troubled centre-left Democratic Party (PD), seven years after he was ousted from power in a party coup.
FILE PHOTO: Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta gestures during a news conference at Chigi Palace in Rome, February 12, 2014. REUTERS/Remo Casilli/
The PD, one of the largest groups supporting Mario Draghi’s unity government, was thrown into turmoil last week when its leader Nicola Zingaretti quit, saying he was “ashamed” of internal wrangling over key positions.
His abrupt walkout has triggered a PD slump in the polls and many party stalwarts have turned to Letta, who has been living in Paris in recent years, asking if he would return to Italy and try to revive the centre-left’s fortunes.