In his speech to the first meeting of Italy’s Democratic Party (PD) leaders convened after the party congress where former Italian Premier Matteo Renzi was named party secretary, Renzi steered clear of talking about the date of possible early elections-- which could be September 24 like in Germany -- due to a basic question of institutional respect.

That is because the decision to dissolve parliament will be made “by the institution vested with that power,” he said, otherwise known as the Italian president's office.



“Supporting the government of (Paolo) Gentiloni is the same as supporting ourselves... but we need an electoral law first,” Renzi said. “And not because we are impatient to go to vote but out of respect for President Sergio Mattarella, who a few days before the primaries made an appeal to parties to agree on an electoral law, convening the presidents of the chambers to the Quirinal Palace, and out of respect for voters.”

But it is clear that the pact signed with Forza Italia, not just for a new electoral law based on the German proportional model with a 5% threshold, but also on the times of approval – by the first week of July – will officially kick off what appears to be the race toward an early vote.

The anti-establishment 5-Star Movement and the Northern League are also clamoring for early elections.

“Definitive go-ahead from the Senate by July 7,” announced the leader of Forza Italia in the Chamber of Deputies Renato Brunetta at the end of the meeting with the PD delegation led by the party’s president in the chamber Ettore Rosato, who received special thanks from Renzi for his “patience” and “effort” over the last few weeks.



Referring to the fears of instability linked to the return to the ballot box before the natural end of the legislature in 2018, Renzi said that “voting happens in a democracy.”

He added that “claiming that a vote constitutes a threat is a suggestive case that I would not recommend to the young millenials who make up the party management.”

And in a certain sense, he is already thinking of the summer electoral campaign (“we will have fun”) when he says that “the day after the ok to the electoral law, the challenge will be about the content, on our ideas for Italy, and on this we have the presumption of being, as the PD, those that dictate the agenda.”

He said “we want to win the elections because we have the clear awareness that ours is a long-term plan, we are the tranquil force that can change Italy.”

Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni was present during Renzi’s speech. And just before, responding to a question during a news conference at the end of his meeting with Canadian Premier Justin Trudeau, he could not help to underline that on the government’s part, “there is attention and respect for the debate underway,” on the electoral law , “but the government is in the full swing of its powers. It has commitments underway, in parliament and not only in parliament, that it intends to maintain.”

It is difficult to get any more words out of the prime minister right now, but it is clear that between his office and the Economy Ministry, the question of potential early elections now being discussed openly among political forces is viewed with particular concern, furthermore linked to the fact that the budget session for 2018 is due around the same time, set to open on October 15.

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