Renzi to Italy's feuding Democrats: Populists are the enemy

[DonViejo]

Source: Associated Press


MONDAY, FEB 13, 2017 11:30 AM EST

ROME (AP) Former Italian Premier Matteo Renzi has urged his Democratic Party to quit its internal squabbling and focus instead on defeating populists during what he dubbed the era of Trumpism and protectionism.

Renzi cited U.S. President Donald Trump while making a pitch to other top Democratic figures Monday for a united front with an eye on national elections that might come as soon as the spring.

Renzi resigned as Italy prime minister after losing a Dec. 4 referendum on key reforms of his government. He remains the Democrats leader

Renzi said the party, now the biggest in Parliament, should concentrate on countering Trumpism, or at least Grillo-ism on the rise in Italy. He was referring to comic Beppe Grillo, whose anti-euro, populist 5-Star Movement aims to govern Italy.

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Read more: http://www.salon.com/2017/02/13/renzi-to-italys-feuding-democrats-populists-are-the-enemy/

[Dawson Leery]

1. He is right. Populism is the enemy of civic liberalism.

Populism is the train that tyrants ride to power.

[tenorly]

2. Demagoguery is, not populism.

The Dick Cheney types keep trying to conflate the two.

Renzi is just hoping banksters will listen and start throwing money at him.