Italy next to reject establishment as protest vote set to win referendum!

ROME, Italy (PNN) - November 26, 2016 - Italy is set to deal a hammer blow to its government as the latest polls revealed voters will punish Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's regime in the upcoming referendum.

The prime minister's failure to reach out to the working class suggests large regions will snub Renzi's plan for constitutional reform. A Demos poll has revealed Renzi's reforms will be rejected by an 11 percentage point margin in the south of the country - where most of the poorest regions are located - compared with a seven-point margin across the rest of the country.

As the nation prepares for a momentous referendum, which could spark an exit from the European Union, Renzi said that he would have no interest in running the country if voters reject the proposed constitutional reform.

Luca Comodo, director at polling company Ipsos, says most voters believe that rejecting Renzi's plans is a vote for change, particularly in southern regions where the economic damage inflicted by the deep recession that followed the global financial crisis hit voters particularly hard.

Comodo said, "The south is where protest and rage are amplified."

If the reform goes through - it will reduce the power of the senate and take back legal power from 20 regional governments.

Those in favor of the change say it will make passing laws easier but those against it say it will centralize power too much.

But many Italians are not voting based on the reforms but on their confidence in Renzi's leadership.

Renzi's response has been to ramp up his campaign efforts in a desperate bid to win over voters in these regions - with visits to Sicily, Sardinia, Puglia and Campania (including the city of Naples).

The embattled prime minister has also proposed tax breaks for companies that create jobs in the south to tackle youth unemployment and stimulate investment, in a last ditch attempt to swing the referendum his way.

Italy is the eurozone's third-largest economy but most ordinary Italians, particularly those living in the south, still struggle to get by.

Emanuele Fusco, a 25-year-old barman, said, "A Yes vote is just a way to fool people. We should send this government packing and let everyone know how much they've screwed us."

Renzi, 41, is coming under increasing pressure as the December 4 vote draws nearer with the anti-establishment Five Star Movement campaigning against him as well as a rebel faction within his own Party.

Martina Riccio, a 32-year-old market researcher, said, "I would change some things about the constitution but I wouldn't have it touched by those in power now. Many people are voting No because they are against Renzi, without even knowing what this entails."

Italy's rules mean that if the vote goes against Renzi, the country's president, Sergio Mattarella, could still ask him to lead a technical government that would have to amend the electoral system before an emergency election next year.