Giuseppe Conte just can’t make peace with the idea that Elly Schlein and Giorgia Meloni will compete in a TV debate; although it is not yet known when. And so after having argued for days asking to be included he has now changed strategy and is trying to blow up the duel. As? By filing a bill to ensure that members of the government and parliamentarians in office cannot run in the European elections. He called it a law against scam applications. «They call them flirtatious candidatures, made to gather more votes. Let’s call them by the right name: scam applications” thundered the people’s lawyer. A proposal that the Dem leader snubbed by replicating how the Democratic Party is focused on its own “election campaign, for the Europe we want” and launching another proposal “for the minimum wage”. Patuanelli is also harsh in the 5 Star Movement, attacking Meloni, underlining how she is “the one who more than anyone else is making fun of the citizens” because it is “unimaginable that he would resign as prime minister to become an MEP”. The confrontation between just two political subjects “is unique in an electoral round that is also proportional”. But discontent is widespread and is not limited to the 5 Star Movement. Matteo Renzi also pointed the finger, explaining how the real objective of the two leaders is not “to do politics in Strasbourg” but to “make a good impression at Porta a Porta”. In his enews he wrote: «They’re not interested in really changing Europe, the prime time share and likes are enough for them». For the former prime minister, in this way “the Strasbourg Parliament becomes less important than the Rai studios in Viale Mazzini”.
Carlo Calenda asks to broaden the debate to “all the major political components in the running”. The Action leader asked himself “there is talk of a level playing field, occupation of Rai and TeleMeloni but the two-way confrontation between Meloni and Schlein in a proportional election doesn’t disturb anyone?”. Also on the same line is the secretary of +Europa Riccardo Magi who defines the duel between the leading women of Italian politics as «a discordant duet» in «violation of the law» because «either there is a debate between all the forces in the field, or the confrontation between the leader of the Democratic Party and the prime minister should not be held.” The Bonelli-Fratoianni couple does not mince words when speaking of «something ridiculous and offensive, there are not two coalitions and that’s it, there is proportional representation». Avs let it be known that they will turn to Agcom. But it is not only the opposition that is asking for the debate to be broadened. Antonio Tajani first clarified how “the duel must be fought” but “television space must be guaranteed to all political forces in equal parts” because “there are no leaders of series A and series B”. The vice prime minister’s proposal? An American-style debate with all the leaders on stage.
