Photo: Lapresse
Angela Bruni
Victories in Puglia and Campania, along with Giovanni Manildo’s results in Venice’s “mission impossible”, gave the center-left reason to feel satisfied: the region’s overall tally increased from 9-4 to 7-6 for the center-right, as highlighted by the head of the Democratic Party organization, Igor Taruffi. His abacus not only covers the regions that are on the ballot this fall – Marche, Calabria, Tuscany, Puglia, Campania and Veneto – but also last year’s regions: Liguria, Umbria and Sardinia. Add to that the roughly 30% Manildo gained in Veneto, double the gain the center-left gained compared to five years earlier. Figures that prompted Elly Schlein to kick a few stones out of her shoes: “Giorgia Meloni today has little to celebrate and very little to jump on”, she said, referring to the center-right’s latest rally in which the prime minister jumped to the tune of “he who doesn’t jump is a communist”.
M5S enjoys victory for its candidate in Campania: Giuseppe Conte thanks “all the forces of the coalition” and underlines how Roberto Fico’s leadership represents a “collective commitment” that also gives hope for the future. For the Movement, he added, “it is a great satisfaction: we brought home a historic double”, after Alessandra Todde’s victory in Sardinia and now Fico’s victory in Campania. However, beyond the understandable euphoria, the successes in Campania and Puglia – which had been widely expected – reopened a series of internal problems within the coalition and within the Democratic Party itself.
The Democratic Party remains the first party in the coalition and can for now claim a role as the government’s alternative axis. However, much depends on election laws. With the current rules, the role of the Democratic Party is undeniable. But if the law is changed proportionally or includes the prime minister’s name on the ballot paper, this would certainly pave the way for coalition primaries. In such a scenario, the challenge between Schlein and Conte will be completely open.
