President of the Republic Sergio
Mattarella on Wednesday signed Premier Matteo Renzi's hotly
contested Italicum electoral reform into law.
This came after Renzi posted a picture of himself on
Twitter signing the Italicum. "An important signature," the
premier wrote on his @matteorenzi account. "Dedicated to all
those who believed in it, when few of us did".
Also on Wednesday, United States-based credit rating agency
Fitch said the approval this week of Italy's controversial new
election law is a step forward in important reforms and will
strengthen Italy's credit profile by reducing the political
risks weighing on the country's economic policies and budget.
Although a dissident leftwing minority within Renzi's
governing Democratic Party (PD) was opposed to aspects of the
law, many observers said it will bring greater political
stability to the country - something crucial to international
investors.
Among those dissidents is Pippo Civati, a Lower House MP
who challenged Renzi in party primaries 18 months ago and who
announced his resignation from the party on Wednesday.
"Out of coherence with my beliefs and my voters' mandate, I
no longer feel I can vote my confidence in the Renzi
government," Civati told ANSA on the phone.
Civati in April called for a national referendum to amend
Renzi's Italicum, shortly before it passed with a confidence
vote.
"I know I won't vote for the Italicum (as it stands),"
Civati said late last month. "I know if they call for a
confidence vote three times, I will refuse it three
times...everyone will lose, including those who are certain of
victory at all costs," he wrote on his Facebook page at the
time.
Deep divisions have emerged within the PD over several
government policies, with a group of minority rebels openly
defying the party line on some issues.
These include the government's Italicum and its planned
revamp of Italy's political institutions - both of which are the
result of the so-called Nazareno pact that Renzi struck last
year with ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi, the leader of the
opposition centre-right Forza Italia (FI) party.
Berlusconi has since disavowed the pact, but internal rifts
within both parties remain.
PD deputy secretary Lorenzo Guerini said he was sorry but
not alarmed about Pippo Civati's exit.
"The decision had been coming for some time," Guerini said
of Civati, who bucked the party line on many occasions.
The Italicum will, among other provisions, award bonus
seats to the party that garners at least 40% of the vote to
ensure it has a working majority in parliament. A run-off vote
will decide who gets the bonus seats if no party crosses the 40%
threshold. It will also allow voters to choose most of their MPs
via preferences, with about a third of candidates nominated
directly by the party.
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