Adnkronos (Adnkronos) –
"Untie some knots" and "take some steps forward." Consulting sources from the center-left parties doesn't exactly make for a grand occasion. However, the call scheduled for today between Elly Schlein, Giuseppe Conte, Angelo Bonelli, and Nicola Fratoianni could mark some "important steps." Originally, the agenda for the leaders' face-to-face meeting was supposed to include the coalition platform and primaries.
These are issues that, however, have not yet matured sufficiently in the broader field and on which (especially the primaries) the allies remain in positions that are not exactly overlapping.
Therefore, no definitive decisions are expected from the leaders on this matter, much less on the date of the primaries, which has been circulating for Wednesday, March 14th. There is no official confirmation from the alliance parties on this matter.
Within the Democratic Party, for example, just a few days ago at the Montepulciano meeting, a clear roadmap was outlined: a program by the end of the year, primaries in early 2027. Still unclear, among other things, is how many seats will be set at the coalition table: a decision postponed due to the latest vicissitudes of the center of the alliance, especially after the Chamber's "no" to the reformist parliamentary group that would have resolved the issue of collecting signatures for, among others, Più Uno.
In this regard, an attempt to bring Ruffini and Gabrielli's movement closer to Alessandro Onorato's Progetto Civico Italia, the leader of the Senate coalition with the PSI, has not been ruled out. In this regard, Riccardo Magi was harsh with the other opposition leaders: "The format of the meeting isn't even a winning one, nor a convincing one, in the sense that it's obviously below 40%. A segment is missing, which is the one we, along with others, are proposing to interpret and represent. And so I hope that in the coming days we'll be able to make progress on this front as well with the other groups—I never say centrist because I've never defined myself as centrist, but reformist, pro-European, liberal democratic, so to speak," he told Adnkronos.
Another item on the leaders' agenda is expected to be a joint demonstration on the cost of living. Here too, however, further study may be necessary to better prepare for the event, perhaps shifting the focus more to the budget, the issue currently front of mind for all opposition leaders. The goal here is to develop a series of joint initiatives in Parliament and define a shared framework for a parliamentary and national battle that promises to be heated.
Regarding the leaders' agenda, Schlein was clear: "First of all, this maneuver is shocking. It's a maneuver based on bribes and electoral advertising," she explained on the sidelines of a Democratic Party conference on the anti-gangmaster law. Shortly before, she had been blunt: "The country was waiting for answers, but Meloni has implemented a maneuver based on bribes and electoral advertising. The only good news is that it will be the last for this government." Her stance is similar to that of Nicola Fratoianni: "The Meloni government's maneuver is yet another embarrassing free-for-all, leaving the debt to those who come after. No real response to the country's needs, nothing done for young people, students, workers, families, and pensioners. The right uses Italians' money only for bonuses and electoral bribes laced with propaganda," said the co-leader of AVS.
Giuseppe Conte also joined the chorus of center-left leaders critical of the budget and the government: "The electoral maneuver is a lottery of micromeasures for micro-audiences. If you're lucky, after slaloming through the various requirements, you'll collect a few crumbs," the Five Star Movement leader wrote on social media. "The winning ticket goes to weapons and defense: €14 billion in extra spending. The losing ticket goes to employees, harassed by price increases, taxes, and starvation wages. An additional €4,5 billion for weapons in 2027, €2,5 billion for healthcare: half of what the Minister himself and the Regions have requested," Conte added. As with other current issues for the alliance, he urged his allies: "To my community and the opposition forces, I say: now give everything, without wasting a second. Let's defend Italy."
policy
webinfo@adnkronos.com (Web Info)