Political violence must be
stopped, leftwing Free and Equal (LeU) party leader Pietro
Grasso told a Facebook-ANSA live forum Thursday.
"I condemn violence, from whatever side it comes," said
Grasso, a former national anti-mafia prosecutor and Senate
Speaker.
"It must be condemned and it must be stopped trying to nip in
the bud all manifestations of violence linked to political
ideology".
Italy has recently seen a string of incidents between
far-right and far-left groups ahead of the March 4 general
election, which have reminded some of the 1970s street clashes
between radical groups.
Grasso also said the LeU would talk to the anti-establishment
5-Star Movement "if they agree to our priorities.
"When the M5S has a clear policy and when they start to agree
with our priorities of leftwing politics, from jobs to housing
to university fees, then we may perhaps face a dialogue," he
said.
"I have no difficulty in talking with anyone," he said.
"The M5S have a sort of genetic mutation and ever-changing
ideas. They rode backwards on civil rights. They didn't show a
sure policy on ius soli (migrant kids' citizenship). They said
no to alliances and now they are making overtures".
Grasso said the M5S seemed to be "going more to the right
sometimes".
"Sometimes it seems that the Five Stars are going more to the
right in connection with (League leader Matteo) Salvini", he
said.
"We must see what policies they intend to implement and and
what alliances they intend to make," said Grasso, a former
national anti-mafia prosecutor and Senate Speaker.
He was answering a question on whether dialogue was possible
between LeU and the M5S.
Grasso added that a single leftwing party should be born
after the March 4 general election.
"After the elections, we should found a single party into
which the values of the left can flow," he said.
Grasso said "we want a progressive, open and government
left".
He appeared to be referring to unifying the small parties to
the left of the centre-left Democratic Party (PD), from which
many LeU members splintered.
Magistrates who have political careers should not then return
to the judiciary, Grasso told the forum.
"A magistrate not only must be impartial but also must appear
impartial," said Grasso, a former national anti-mafia prosecutor
and Senate Speaker.
"If they decide to go into politics they must leave the role
and function of magistrate, knowing that they cannot return to
exercise those functions," he said.
Finally, Grasso said Grasso said it would be wrong to abolish
the 2011 Fornero pension reform, which must instead be adjusted.
"To abolish" the controversial reform "is wrong, we must
adjust it and reform it in relation to the categories, the type
of work and people's needs," said Grasso.
Parties on the right and centre right have said they will
either scrap completely or radically overhaul the 2011 law,
which was passed with Italy on the brink of default.
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