Political violence must be stopped

(ANSA) - Rome, February 22 - 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.