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

Democratic Party leader Matteo Renzi arrives at the PD meeting in Rome, Monday, Feb. 13, 2017. The former Italian Premier admonished his Democratic Party Monday to quit internal squabbling and focus instead on defeating populist politicians in the era of what he called ‘’Trumpism’’ and protectionism politics gaining popularity in Europe. (Maurizio Brambatti/ANSA via AP)
Democratic Party leader Matteo Renzi arrives at the PD meeting in Rome, Monday, Feb. 13, 2017. The former Italian Premier admonished his Democratic Party Monday to quit internal squabbling and focus instead on defeating populist politicians in the era of what he called ‘’Trumpism’’ and protectionism politics gaining popularity in Europe. (Maurizio Brambatti/ANSA via AP) Democratic Party leader Matteo Renzi arrives at the PD meeting in Rome, Monday, Feb. 13, 2017. The former Italian Premier admonished his Democratic Party Monday to quit internal squabbling and focus instead on defeating populist politicians in the era of what he called ‘’Trumpism’’ and protectionism politics gaining popularity in Europe. (Maurizio Brambatti/ANSA via AP)

By Associated Press 2 min read

ROME (AP) – Former Italian Premier Matteo Renzi admonished his Democratic Party on Monday to stop its internal squabbling and focus instead on defeating the populist politicians and protectionist politics gaining popularity in Europe.

Renzi repeatedly cited the name of U.S. President Donald Trump while making a pitch to other top Democratic figures for a united front ahead of a national election that might come as soon as the spring.

Parliamentary elections are scheduled for 2018, but calls for voters to go to the polls this spring instead have been rising from some opposition leaders, including the anti-immigrant, far-right Northern League leader Matteo Salvini and the 5-Star Movement led by comic-turned-populist firebrand Beppe Grillo.

Opinion polls show the 5-Stars making headway in their bid to dethrone the Democrats as Italy’s biggest vote-getting party.

Renzi resigned as premier after losing a Dec. 4 referendum on some key reforms. He remains the Democrats’ leader, but more left-leaning elements of the party have criticized his leadership, with ex-Premier Massimo D’Alema, a former Communist, among his biggest detractors.