Renzi had previously resigned as prime minister in December after voters rejected a referendum— Reuters picROME, April 30 — Former Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi was today poised to win the leadership of Italy’s ruling Democratic Party (PD) in a primary election, propelling him back to the forefront of the national political scene. “Forward, together,” Mr Renzi tweeted, invigorated by his comeback after a stinging defeat in a December reforms referendum aimed in part at streamlining the legislative process led him to resign as head of Italy’s government and as leader of his squabbling party. Renzi himself had set the bar for success at one million voters, and an internal vote conducted by the PD this month suggested a clear Renzi victory after he scored 66.7 percent, with 25.3 percent for Orlando and eight percent for Emiliano. Polling stations in Italy closed at 4 p.m. Eastern time, with Renzi expected to win the primary election decisively against Justice Minister Andrea Orlando and Michele Emiliano, who heads Italy’s Apulia region, according to reports from The Telegraph.
Former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi regains the role of Secretary of the Democratic Party, after his resignation in February, in an open primary election.