(supersedes previous)(ANSA) - Milan, November 18 -
Businessman-turned-politician Stefano Parisi on Friday launched
a new centre-right group called Energie per l'Italia - Energy
for Italy.
"Today we announce the launch of a new political movement,
an important contribution for the centre right," Parisi said in
Milan. "It's an alternative movement to (center-left Premier
Matteo) Renzi and to the Left... (we are) convinced of the need
for great political renewal".
Parisi went on to say he doesn't feel betrayed by ex-premier
Silvio Berlusconi and his center-right Forza Italia (FI) party.
"Do I feel Berlusconi betrayed me politically? No, because we
weren't engaged. I haven't been fired, because I was never
hired," said Parisi, who in June this year ran for mayor of
Milan on a center-right ticket with backing from FI, the
populist anti-immigrant Northern League, and the small rightwing
Brothers of Italy (FdI) party.
"But FI can't go on the way things are now," Parisi said.
Berlusconi said last Tuesday that Parisi "wants a role in the
center-right but, given disagreement with (Northern League
leader Matteo) Salvini, I don't think he can have it."
On Friday, Parisi said he believes some FI supporters will
vote 'Yes' in a December 4 referendum on Renzi's constitutional
reform law, which would, among other measures, cut the Senate by
two thirds and reduce its lawmaking powers.
"It is legitimate for them to do so," Parisi said. "I'll be
voting 'No', but not in order to drive Renzi out - we believe
(he) should be defeated in democratic elections".
Parisi added that the young reformist Democratic Party (PD)
premier "made the mistake of splitting the country and the
center-right (over the referendum)".
He also denied being funded by Berlusconi. "He helped us
during the (mayoral) electoral campaign, but everything we've
done since July has been self-financed," Parisi said.
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