Tensions in the center-left between alliances, primaries and the program node

Inspired by the wild west atmosphere in the wide field, Matteo Renzi dug up one of Clint Eastwood's least memorable lines: "If you want a guarantee, buy a toaster". The quote was in response to the president of the M5s Giuseppe Conte who, not wanting Renzi in the coalition, a few hours earlier had invited the secretary of the Democratic Party Elly Schlein to act as his guarantor. "I don't need to give guarantees - commented the president of IV - I need to bring the votes". In short, even if the tone has lowered a bit, the climate for now is the same. For example, when they asked Conte why he wasn't at the Leopolda, the IV event taking place in Florence, he replied ironically: "They didn't invite me". But before that he had once again reiterated his "no" to weapons in Ukraine: "60-70% of the Italian population is asking for a turning point regarding the Russian-Ukrainian conflict". And even before that he had posted on social media a speech he had made in recent days: "If you can't change Italy and a diluted, watered-down project emerges, I won't give in to that." Strengthened by the M5s programme, Conte has set the limits against "internal compromises within individual political forces" and "with all political forces".

Given the trend, in order not to make mistakes, the president of the Democratic Party Stefano Bonaccini asked that the program be signed "in blood". While Renzi relaunched the "German-style contract, so we know what you do, when you do it, why you do it and when". In short, trust is still optional. However, optimism continues to persist in the Democratic Party: of course, in the leadership the secretary has raised the bar a bit with the five stars, she has clarified several little things but, once the situation has been made clear, the path will continue as expected. And even in the M5s they don't dramatize: Schlein's intervention in the management was not experienced with concern, but as a way for the secretary to speak to his people, to close ranks. If anything, there is a need to accelerate, which is shared by the Democratic Party. In a little while the table for the program will be held, then the primaries, which at this point seem inevitable: they will take place "at the beginning of next year", the Organization manager of the Democratic Party, Igor Taruffi, predicted in Repubblica.

First, however, there will be the PD assembly, called to give the green light to the extension of Schlein's mandate, which otherwise would expire on March 12, in the midst of the political election campaign. Given that almost all the currents of the Democratic Party support it, the green light is taken for granted. But the appointment, scheduled for October 18th at the Nuvola in Rome, could be a new opportunity for sparks with the minority wing, the reformists. Guest at Renzi's Leopolda, PD MEP Giorgio Gori once again asked that, in addition to Schlein, another party member be able to run in the primaries, announcing: "We'll talk about it again in the assembly". It's no secret that the other candidate could be Gori himself. Indeed, his presence at the IV event also suggested the prospect of new scenarios at the centre: "If the reformists divide themselves, their weight is reduced - said Gori - they become residual and have no impact". Because now the reformists are divided, partly in the Democratic Party, partly here and there. "We will field a reformist candidate in the primaries", assured the vice-president of IV, Davide Faraone. The program table could provide some clarity on the chessboard. The secretary of Più Europa, Riccardo Magi, asked to speed up: "The programmatic comparison becomes essential". In the meantime, Schlein is stopping by the Unity parties to explain the Democratic Party's points for the program. "If the right wins the next elections it will bring military spending to 5% of GDP. If we win instead, we will bring healthcare spending, the first concern of Italians, to 7% of GDP." For now, however, the horizon seems to be written: "The unity of the centre-left is a necessary condition - summarized Nicola Fratoianni of Avs - because without unity Meloni wins the elections and the discussion ends".