ANSA Politica1 hour agoPolitics2 min readItaly

Renzi: to beat Meloni you need an open coalition at the center and primaries

Quick Look

Matteo Renzi, leader of Italia Viva, states that to defeat Giorgia Meloni in the next elections the center-left must open up to a broader coalition with the reformists and hold primaries, criticized by Carlo Calenda who defines him as a 'buffoon' for his contradictory positions on the broad field.

AI-generated summary

Why It Matters

Renzi promotes a center-left coalition open to the center to beat Meloni, underlining the need for primaries and criticizing the current broad field made up of Pd, Avs and M5s as insufficient.

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"If it doesn't commit suicide, the center-left will win the next round," but to avoid committing suicide, it "must open up to something broader" with reformists and not be limited to the current broad coalition (*campo largo*) of the Democratic Party (Pd), Greens and Left Alliance (Avs), and Five Star Movement (M5s): Matteo Renzi, leader of Italia Viva, reiterated his appeal from Viareggio for a coalition open all the way to the center because "if we stay together, next round Meloni goes home; if we go divided, she wins again." And the first step is the primaries, which are "indispensable," for which "they will have to agree on the rules—Taruffi and Taverna will lock themselves in a room and sort the rules out."

According to the former prime minister, Meloni "has lasted four years" but "has just been scraping by" and "has been a disappointment for those who voted for her," with a Vannacci who, from the right, "attacks her on security" as well as on immigration, and "risks getting into double digits." Consequently, "La Russa is working day and night on the runoff," having understood that "if there is no runoff, Meloni is doomed." However, he reiterates, the substance of the reformist area is needed because "we bring added value that is like an away goal in European cups before the rule change—it counts double. If I am an entrepreneur disappointed by Urso and Meloni, how can I vote over here if they say all kinds of things against business?"

Once again, criticism arrived for Renzi from the leader of Azione and former Third Pole ally, Carlo Calenda: "I think Renzi is a clown, a very talented clown, I say that in a Renaissance sense," he stated on Omnibus on La7, recalling that "Renzi said never with the 5 Stars and then formed the government with Conte, then launched Italia Viva, then brought down the Conte government, then did a thing in the center saying that the broad coalition was absolute evil," and finally "said that we wanted to join the broad coalition and threw himself into the broad coalition."

What to Watch

AI outlook — possibilities, not facts

If the center-left opens up to the center and holds primaries, Meloni will lose the next elections.
Possible · Within months
La Russa is working to prevent Meloni from winning in the first round by aiming for a run-off.
Likely · Within weeks

Open Questions

What are the specific rules that Renzi proposes for the primaries?
How will the Pd, Avs and M5s respond to Renzi's appeal for an opening to the centre?
What are the chances that Calenda and Renzi will find common ground despite mutual criticism?