In today’s political frenzy, the presence of Elly Schlein and Giuseppe Conte was expected at the demonstration organized by the CGIL and the UIL in Piazza del Popolo against the maneuver led by Meloni. But there was a big surprise when it became known that the two directors, although with different reasons, decided to abandon the event. After a week of indecision and hesitation, Elly Schlein and Giuseppe Conte decided not to participate in the rally of Maurizio Landini and Pierpaolo Bombardieri. An absence, reports Repubblica, that caused unrest, especially as the 5-Star Movement did not organize an official delegation, leaving the initiative to individual parliamentarians.
The Democratic Party had a different opinion, having given clear instructions to its troops: participate in the demonstration. Among those present were Marco Furfaro and Marta Bonafoni, loyalists to Schlein, along with Arturo Scotto and Marina Sereni. Marco Sarracino will represent the party in Naples, while others will join the squares organized throughout the Peninsula. The secretary of the Democratic Party declared yesterday on television that “a delegation from the Democratic Party will be present”, without however revealing the issue of her personal presence. However, the former prime minister, until last night, maintained the strictest secrecy about his participation, despite previous meetings with Landini.
As the newspaper explains, the relationship between M5S and CGIL appears to be further apart than it was a year ago. “Conte initially aimed for a special relationship with the red union, but Schlein’s victory in the primaries changed the balance,” explains the background. Democrats want to rebuild a privileged relationship without giving Conte much. But why did Schlein and Conte decide to avoid being seen in the square? No official version was provided by either Nazareno or Campo Marzio, but two reasonings emerged. Firstly, the CGIL is not organizing a demonstration, but a strike and, therefore, “the autonomy of the union” must be respected. Secondly, there is the fear that the center-right majority “is constructing a narrative that sees Landini as the federator of the old broad camp, the true ‘leader of the opposition and the left’. An image that both the Democratic Party and the M5S want to avoid, and the presence of Schlein and Conte could strengthen it.” But Schlein and Conte’s choice not to participate in the strike was still met with surprise, regardless of the reasons.
Source: IL Tempo
Emma Fitzgerald is an accomplished political journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in political science and international relations, she has a deep understanding of the political landscape and the forces that shape it.
