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A8 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 7 March 2018

Renzi challenges Italy's Democrats over support for 5-Stars

In a Facebook message tute, analyzing data from
Tuesday that suggested a select number of cities,
defections were a real concluded that of the 2.6
threat, Renzi reminded his million voters the Demo-
supporters that both the crats lost since the 2013
5-Stars and the League general election, “rele-
"represent the opposite of vant numbers” went to the
our values." 5-Stars, as well as to a lesser
"They're anti-European, an- degree the League and a
ti-political and have used new left-wing party.
a language of hatred," “All this indicates that the
Renzi wrote. "They said we 5-Stars are the Democrats’
were corrupt, mafiosi, and competitors, offering elec-
that we have blood on our tors a ‘truer’ left than that
hands because of immi- embodied by a leader
gration. I don't think they've like Renzi,” the researchers
changed their mind over- said. As a result, analysts
night." say, Renzi has reason to be
"For me, the Democratic concerned about the rank-
Party has to be where the and-file’s intentions.
people put us: in the oppo- “I always start from the

Democratic Party leader Matteo Renzi speaks during a press conference on the election results, sition," Renzi wrote. "If any- numbers. And the numbers
in Rome, Monday, March 5, 2018. one from our party thinks tell me there are not many
(AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis) otherwise, let him or her say coalitions available,” said
so," either in an upcoming Roberto D’Alimonte, a po-
By NICOLE WINFIELD Analysts say he has reason than 23 percent of the vote party meeting or in Parlia- litical scientist at Rome’s
COLLEEN BARRY to worry. Given both the — the worst result ever for ment. LUISS University. “Today it
ROME (AP) — Former Italian numbers and ideologies, the left. The success of the 5-Stars, looks very strange. But af-
Premier Matteo Renzi on a 5-Star government sup- And he pledged the Dem- a grassroots internet-based ter a few weeks of useless
Tuesday challenged mem- ported by elements of the ocrats wouldn't align with movement that only was searching, I think ... it won’t
bers of his defeated Demo- Democratic Party may be either the 5-Stars, which launched nine years ago, look so strange.”
crats to publicly declare if the most stable and logical emerged from the election came in great part at the The 5-Stars have evolved
they'll support the populist solution to Italy's inconclu- as the single-biggest party expense of the Democrats, since the last parliamentary
5-Star Movement, throw- sive elections. with 32 percent of the vote, including in their onetime election when they refused
ing down the gauntlet as Renzi has said he would or the center-right coali- stronghold of Emilia-Ro- to deal with any party, and
he tries to prevent his party resign as party chair given tion, led by the anti-immi- magna in northern Italy. want to become “the new
from fracturing and back- the Democratic Party's di- grant League, with 37 per- Researchers at the Bolo- establishment,” D’Alimonte
ing its political nemesis. sastrous showing of less cent. gna-based Cattaneo Insti- said.q

Northern Ireland party rejects EU plans on Ireland border

BRUSSELS (AP) — The North- tiator, Michel Barnier, that one of the more intracta- between ourselves and the phe if we allowed a border
ern Ireland party that props there can be no division ble issues during the Brexit rest of the United Kingdom. between ourselves and the
up the government of Brit- between Northern Ireland talks. That is the critical point for rest of the U.K."
ish Prime Minister Theresa and the rest of the U.K. to And the DUP fears that as us," Foster said, adding that Barnier assured her that all
May insists that European accommodate for a soft the EU seeks to keep the 72 percent of Northern Ire- constitutional rules of the
Union proposals to avoid a border with the EU. Irish border as transparent land goods go to the rest of U.K. would be respected.
hard border in Ireland after The border on the island will as possible, it is at the same the U.K. "The EU is looking for practi-
Brexit are "not acceptable." be the only land border af- time erecting obstacles "The single market that mat- cal solutions to avoiding a
Democratic Unionist Party ter the U.K. breaks away as between Northern Ireland ters to the people of North- hard border, in full respect
leader Arlene Foster said of March 2019 and main- and Britain. ern Ireland is the U.K. single of the constitutional sta-
after a meeting with the taining open trade and "What we're concerned market," she said. "It would tus" of Northern Ireland, he
EU's chief Brexit nego- passage is proving to be about is to have a barrier be an economic catastro- tweeted.q