Susanna Riva The national rally, titled "Ready for the Alternative," took place on Sunday in Montepulciano, bringing together the Democratic Party's top leaders and numerous local representatives. A sense of urgency immediately emerged: the coalition led by Dario Franceschini, Andrea Orlando, and Roberto Speranza called for expediting the development of a common platform and scheduling the primaries by early February.
At the center of the debate is Secretary Elly Schlein, who, while supporting the need for a democratic process , continues to postpone the selection of a prime ministerial candidate, arguing that "the program comes first, and then the primaries." This position has fueled a series of heated exchanges with Giuseppe Conte , who from Vibo Valentia reiterated his vision of the entire process.
The Montepulciano rally and the call for an "alternative"
During the evening, Franceschini presented an eleven-page document outlining a series of ten programmatic points, from foreign policy to energy transition, with the goal of establishing a shared basis by November. Orlando and Speranza emphasized that the time is now and that the Democratic Party can no longer afford to postpone crucial strategic decisions for the 2027 elections.
The operational proposals of Franceschini, Orlando and Speranza
The group has put forward three main demands: defining a clear policy framework by the end of November, scheduling the primaries for early February, and establishing a single duel between Schlein and Conte, with transparent participation rules and free from "interference and disruption." The document places the secretary in command of the coalition, but leaves room for a possible shared leadership with the prime ministerial candidate of the Democratic Party or other allied forces.
The Schlein-Conte Confrontation: Logic and Misunderstandings
Schlein's remarks at the end of the conference reaffirmed that democracy requires an additional vote for the party that wins it, but provided no operational guidance. Conte, meanwhile, responded from Vibo Valentia, emphasizing that the primaries must remain "open to anyone who respects the rules," without precluding the participation of other leaders or civic movements.
Conte's statements from Vibo Valentia
Conte emphasized that the choice of the prime ministerial candidate cannot be decided in advance by just two parties, reiterating that the most democratic way of selecting is to have multiple candidates. He also invited the opposition to sit down, but left the number of available seats and the access procedures for non-party movements uncertain.
The role of civics and Alessandro Onorato
Alessandro Onorato, a city council member, supported Franceschini's stance on the calendar, but expressed reservations about holding the primary between only two leading figures. He highlighted the possibility of active participation, with the support of Enzo Maraio, and presented over four hundred proposals to be narrowed down to ten shared priorities. His position demonstrates a growing push among civic leaders to influence the internal debate.
Programmatic strategies and divided perspectives in the Democratic Party
The "main current" has also focused its attention on European politics, criticizing Ursula von der Leyen's presidency as "increasingly inadequate" and proposing more decisive EU intervention in the Ukrainian conflict, including directly involving actors like Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. These proposals, however, remain subject to negotiation with Conte, who maintains his priorities regarding the program and the vote.
The Democratic Party (PD) faces a dilemma: accelerate its efforts toward a common program and quickly elect a prime ministerial candidate, or initiate a broader primary process that risks diluting its internal forces. The answer to this dilemma will determine the party's ability to present itself as a credible alternative in the upcoming elections.