Economics
Renzi Gambles All on Referendum Haunted by Weak Economy
- News of job cuts, restructuring plans will weigh on outcome
- Key GDP report three days before ballot could sway voter mood
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi .
Photographer: Simona Granati/Corbis via Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Italians are about to have their say on Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and the economy isn’t doing him any favors.
When the country holds a referendum on a key constitutional change Dec. 4, many voters will have more than “Yes” or “No” on their mind. They’ll probably take the opportunity to vent their frustration over the snail’s pace of growth after the latest recession in a country whose economy has contracted 2.1 percent since 2002.