Leader Of Italy's Centre-left Democratic Party Resigns

Rome, March 4 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Mar, 2021 ) :The leader of Italy's centre-left Democratic Party (PD), one of the main backers of Prime Minister Mario Draghi's national unity government, quit on Thursday, leaving his party in disarray.

Nicola Zingaretti wrote on Facebook he was "ashamed" of the PD, accusing its top members of focusing of internal feuding and backstabbing rather than national challenges such as the coronavirus pandemic.

The PD is the second party within the ruling coalition in chaos, after the formerly anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) -- the biggest party in parliament -- split over the decision to join the government.

Draghi took office last month, leading a team of technocrats and politicians enjoying wide cross-party support, ranging from leftists to the far-right League party of Matteo Salvini.

But questions remain over how long such an unruly coalition can survive, given the huge challenges faced by Italy, including a record recession and a still raging health crisis.

"It has yet to be demonstrated that a country can be governed when the two main majority parties are in this state," Stefano Feltri, editor of the Domani daily, wrote in an editorial.

According to analysts, Zingaretti might still seek another mandate as PD leader, or leave the national stage and run as mayor of Rome, in elections expected in June or later this year.

Zingaretti was elected PD leader in 2019, replacing former premier Matteo Renzi. The wider Italian public knows him as the brother of actor Luca Zingaretti, star of the Inspector Montalbano tv series.