There would have been a kiss in front of everyone, but the fear of catching a cold came into the mix. Or at least, that's what they said. But there was a hug, quite warm too. After days of remote back and forth, the secretary of the Democratic Party Elly Schlein and the president of the M5s Giuseppe Conte found themselves on stage at the Il Manifesto party in Rome. Together with them, the leaders of Avs, Angelo Bonelli and Nicola Fratoianni, and that of Più Europa Riccardo Magi. Photographers lined up at the finish line, group shot.
But this time the wide shot went beyond the pose. Even though on Ukraine everyone reiterated their position, with Schlein and Magi in favor of sending weapons and everyone else not. Indeed, Conte invited us to "try to understand what interests are at stake, including those of the other party" and recalled that in Ukraine "there were territories that were characterized by Russian speakers, but also by Russophile territorial populations". In short, the rope continues to remain tight. However, the secretary of the Democratic Party is sure that a synthesis is within reach: "We will be in a position to find an agreement, despite the difference in our positions - she said - We will be closed even for a whole night, the important thing is to come out united". Whole night it is. But when? "We are working to ensure that the common program is there by the end of the year, given that it is a priority", assured Schlein. And then Conte went further: "It is urgent to get around a table and define. By making a serious comparison the program will be closed in a couple of weeks."
The roadmap is now there. Two weeks of work, a night discussing Kiev, and then primaries. Because the difficult synthesis of everyone's positions leads to those. Which is more or less this: Bonelli and Fratoianni don't want them. Magi would gladly do without it. Schlein recalled that the Democratic Party has always "preferred the idea of making an agreement: whoever gets one more vote" expresses the leadership. But Conte said that this is not good: "You cannot make an a priori choice." And so the conclusion is that "the primaries will be held - concluded Conte - but in a non-divisive way, with everyone's commitment to working together". On the other hand, Schlein has never held back: "If it's a useful tool, I'm also open to the primary route." What is certain is that this story of how to choose the leader has left some rust. Conte recalled that he had proposed to Schlein that they both take a step back and choose a third figure to unite the coalition: but "this is not possible", he concluded.
And Schlein then took it very far, but made it clear that this story of the third name could also bring with it implications that she really doesn't like. "There is a part of the establishment that does not want a progressive alliance in the government of the country - she said - They have tried to take over me since the day I was elected secretary". And here the message seemed to be directed even within his party. Then the warning: "We haven't come this far to be told by the usual people that we win at the center and perhaps it would be better to have some leader not present here who would be more reassuring for certain interests or open to broad agreements. I say: never more broad agreements. In these twenty years they have always made us lose like this, so it's time to change". He wanted to say it. Indeed, to reiterate it. Because in the morning, at the Il Foglio party in Florence, she had made a similar speech: "Since I have been here as secretary of the Democratic Party they have always tried to appoint me as commissioner, to federate me or to eliminate me and yet we are still here". However, he also received a sentence from Conte which seemed like a promise to lower his guard: "I have been prime minister twice, the third time adds nothing to me". End of the five-way dialogue. New group photos.
