Tiny parties throng to have their say on Italy's new leader

The Italian Carabinieri band performs before President Sergio Mattarella starts consultations at the Quirinale Palace in Rome, Italy, December 8, 2016. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi/File Photo

ROME (Reuters) - President Sergio Mattarella is consulting a total of 23 parties to help him find a successor to outgoing Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, showing how little progress Italy has made in reducing political fragmentation.

On Friday, Mattarella met separately with groups that few Italians have even heard of, such as the Thought and Action Party, the Civic Innovators Party and one known only as "Fare!", which would roughly translate as the "Doing" party.