Will Italy be Europe’s next casualty as Renzi risks all on referendum?

Writer suggests that the usually politically astute Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi made a big error when he decided to stake his own political career on a referendum in the autumn of 2016 on a proposed reform of the constitution. Much to his chagrin, the vote was beginning to resemble a national election and comment on his government.

Italy's Supreme Court of Cassation (Corte Suprema di Cassazione) decreed on the 8 August 2016 that the constitutional reform referendum could go ahead and must go ahead within sixty days. It would take place in October or early November 2016.

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