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Profile: Florence mayor Matteo Renzi Profile: Florence mayor Matteo Renzi
(2 months later)
The young mayor of Florence, Matteo Renzi, on Sunday became leader of Italy's most powerful political organisation, the centre-left Democratic Party (PD) - the dominant faction in the current coalition government. Matteo Renzi, the charismatic young mayor of Florence, has been asked to form Italy's next government within weeks of being elected as leader of Italy's most powerful political organisation, the centre-left Democratic Party (PD).
Matteo Renzi is just 38 years old. His rise is seen as a sign of much-needed generational change, and he enjoys by far the highest approval rating of any politician in the country. Matteo Renzi is just 39 years old and has never been a member of parliament. And yet he triggered the downfall of Prime Minister and party rival Enrico Letta, calling on the PD to back a new government.
Mr Renzi is sometimes called Il Rottamatore ("The Scrapper"). The nickname refers to his call for scrapping the entire Italian political establishment, which is widely regarded as discredited, tainted by corruption, and as having failed the nation decade after decade. The young party leader is sometimes called Il Rottamatore ("The Scrapper"). The nickname refers to his call to scrap the entire Italian political establishment, which is widely regarded as discredited, tainted by corruption, and as having failed the nation decade after decade.
Mr Renzi presents himself as a break with the past in every way. His rise has been seen as a sign of much-needed generational change, and he enjoys by far the highest approval rating of any politician in the country. He is, in his own words, "hugely ambitious".
He exudes a restless energy. He likes to pace the stage in black jeans and a white shirt. He is relaxed and easy - fast and fluent as he speaks without notes, ranging across Italy's many problems, and offering broad-brush solutions. Mr Renzi presents himself as a break with the past in every way, BBC Rome correspondent Alan Johnston reports.
He exudes a restless energy. He likes to pace the stage in black jeans and attends meetings in shirt sleeves. He travels around either in a small car or on a bicycle.
He is relaxed and easy - fast and fluent as he speaks without notes, ranging across Italy's many problems, and offering broad-brush solutions.
As he left the presidential palace after his nomination as prime minister, Mr Renzi promised "all the courage, commitment, energy and enthusiasm of which I am capable".
Restoring beliefRestoring belief
He always seeks to instil a belief that politics can be done differently, that change is possible.He always seeks to instil a belief that politics can be done differently, that change is possible.
He finished a recent televised debate by saying he would offer something very rare in Italy: "Hope." He once finished a televised debate by saying he would offer something very rare in Italy: "Hope."
"People are weary and disillusioned," he said. "They don't believe anymore. I believe, and that's why I do politics - because I still believe.""People are weary and disillusioned," he said. "They don't believe anymore. I believe, and that's why I do politics - because I still believe."
Winning control of the PD is a major step on what Mr Renzi hopes is a journey to the prime ministerial palace. Winning control of the PD in December 2013 was the key step in Mr Renzi's journey to the prime ministerial palace.
But the route is tricky. And it did not take long for tensions between the new head of the party and Prime Minister Letta, the deputy leader of the PD, to come to the fore.
The PD is already the dominant force in the Italian government - an awkward coalition that includes elements on the centre-right. The signs were visible within weeks of Mr Renzi taking over PD leader. In January, he invited former PM Silvio Berlusconi, thrown out of parliament but still in charge of the opposition Forza Italia (FI) movement, to his party headquarters to discuss a deal on much-needed electoral reform.
And the current Prime Minister, Enrico Letta, is actually a senior figure in the Democratic Party. The move drew anger from some on the left of the party, but Matteo Renzi was having none of it.
So now that the ambitious Mr Renzi has won the PD leadership it is easy to imagine tensions developing. "It's a contradiction in terms to say 'You should have spoken to FI but not to Berlusconi'. Should I have spoken to [Berlusconi's fiancee's dog] Dudu?"
Suspicion in the ranks By February it had become clear that he was focusing more on the future of Enrico Letta's PD-dominated government and its coalition of small centre-right parties.
In his analysis, Wolfango Piccoli, of the political risk advisory group Teneo Intelligence, wrote: "Renzi will have to strike a delicate balance with Prime Minister Enrico Letta. After a dinner with President Giorgio Napolitano, Mr Renzi was quoted as saying the government's batteries were running low and a decision had to be made on whether they needed recharging - or changing.
"Renzi's ultimate goal is an early election, although he needs to avoid appearing responsible for an eventual government collapse if he is to maintain his popularity." It did not take long for that decision to be taken and for the party coup to be over.
And even if there were an election there would be no absolute guarantee that the PD would decide that Mr Renzi should be its prime ministerial candidate. He went to see Enrico Letta at the prime ministerial palace, saying afterwards only that he would make his intentions clear the next day.
There are figures in the party's establishment who will not have enjoyed watching the rise of the young mayor. In a speech at the party headquarters, he thanked the prime minister but said the country was at a crossroads: there was an urgent need for a new phase with a new executive. Hours later, Mr Letta said he would step down.
When he has called for scrapping the "old guard" he has been talking about at least some of them.
And there are many on the harder left of the PD who will have grave ideological reservations about Mr Renzi.
"In terms of general economic approach, for instance, Renzi emphasises cutting bureaucracy rather than tightening regulation," wrote Mr Piccoli.
"He argues that the state should set clear rules for markets and not interfere with big business or the financial sector, two traditional whipping boys for the centre-left."
Another Blair?Another Blair?
Despite his popularity among voters, Matteo Renzi's bid to become prime minister will remind many Italians of the sequence of revolving-door governments that afflicted post-war Italian politics.
There are many on the harder left of his party who have ideological reservations about him.
And some figures in the party's establishment will have been uncomfortable with his ascent to the top of the party. He once called for scrapping the "old guard".
There are echoes in all this of the early years of the former British leader Tony Blair, and his capture of the left-wing Labour Party in the mid-1990s.There are echoes in all this of the early years of the former British leader Tony Blair, and his capture of the left-wing Labour Party in the mid-1990s.
Comparisons are often made between the two men.Comparisons are often made between the two men.
Like Mr Blair, the reforming Mr Renzi aims to draw the PD into the centre ground, and even reach out to voters who are usually more at home on the right. Like Mr Blair, the reforming Mr Renzi aims to draw the PD into the centre ground, and even to reach out to voters who are usually more at home on the right.
More traditional elements in the party might not like this, but they will be grimly aware that it may be the only path to a clear victory. Mr Renzi makes a virtue of the fact that he is fresh to the political scene, but that leaves him open to the charge that he is desperately inexperienced.
Mr Renzi makes a virtue of the fact that he is fresh to the political scene, that he has never been part of the national establishment or served in any government. Running the beautiful Renaissance city of Florence is a far cry from eventually trying to manage Italy, our correspondent says.
But that leaves him open to the charge that he is desperately inexperienced. Mr Renzi's many supporters there would praise him for overseeing a substantial pedestrianisation plan, and working to promote Florence.
Running the beautiful Renaissance city of Florence is a far cry from eventually trying to manage Italy.
Mr Renzi's many supporters in the city would certainly say that he has done a good job.
They would point to the way he has overseen a substantial pedestrianisation plan, and worked to promote Florence.
And they would say that the city has benefited from greater national and international attention.
But the mayor also has his critics among the Florentines.But the mayor also has his critics among the Florentines.
Among them is Ornella De Zordo, an opposition councillor who argues that the slick Mr Renzi is much better at making promises than keeping them.Among them is Ornella De Zordo, an opposition councillor who argues that the slick Mr Renzi is much better at making promises than keeping them.
"He's used the slogan 'Said, Done!' many times," she said. "I would say 'Said, But Not Done!' because Matteo Renzi is very good at a communicational level - at making announcements."He's used the slogan 'Said, Done!' many times," she said. "I would say 'Said, But Not Done!' because Matteo Renzi is very good at a communicational level - at making announcements.
"But when you look at his record, things are very different. He sells himself very well.""But when you look at his record, things are very different. He sells himself very well."