“It will be an important challenge but allow me to thank those who have led the city in recent years: thanks to Galimberti and his team. Now we need a relaunch of the city, we need to take care of his concerns so that we don’t remain seated on good administration. So thanks to Andrea (Virgil; ed.), we are happy to be by your side.”
With this debut, preceded by long applause from the many present in the courtyard Federico II, Elly Schlein, the national secretary of the Democratic Party opened her speech, today from 6.30 pm. Several councilors were present, as well as the leaders of the local Democratic Party, and the mayoral candidate Andrew Virgilto Luciano Pizzetti, leaders of “Cremona sei tu”, candidates and administrators. Also present was the former mayor of Crema, Stefania Bonaldi, and the parliamentarian Alessandro Zan.
Even on an autumn day, with the city and center deserted, Schlein managed to warm up activists and supporters of the Democratic Party by touching on quite a few issues. Preceded by brief interventions by the provincial secretary, Vittore Soldoand from the city one, Roberto Gallettithe national secretary started from the challenge for the administrative elections and soon expanded the scope to the European ones, not without sparing jabs at the right and the Meloni government.
First topic touched on, healthcare: “The Democratic Party will always defend public health from the cuts and creeping privatization that the right is carrying out”. Regarding healthcare, Schlein recalled, “spending in Italy has fallen, especially after Covid. More resources are needed and hiring needs to be unlocked. But the right doesn’t do any of this and it doesn’t do it by mistake: there is a precise plan. They want a healthcare system where those with fat wallets go to the private sector”.
Attention to elderly people and welfare and attention to disability – with implicit reference to Vannacci’s declarations – are other topics on which the secretary of the Democratic Party focused, also asking “more attention on something that should no longer be a taboo, mental health”. Yet, she said, “the government has not contributed a single euro to social issues and has left the Municipalities alone.”
From social to work: “It’s time to pass the minimum wage law. The government has turned its back on Italians who are poor even if they have a job. We are witnessing families struggling to do their shopping but the government has done nothing about the cost of living. Talk and zero facts”. “Let’s remember – he warned – that the birth rate depends on precariousness. It is necessary to reverse this trend”.
And while “they obsess us with immigration, we haven’t seen emigration”, he added, referring to the many Italians, especially young people, who leave the country in search of work elsewhere. Also for this reason, she insisted, “we need a united and supportive Europe. A Europe with more common investments and fewer tax havens. Taxes are paid where profits are made”.
Among the topics touched upon, local transport (“the minister didn’t put in a single euro”), the green deal, the university and knowledge, which “starts from the defense of public schools”.
Another jab on the right to housing: “They have the courage to write on election posters that they are in defense of the house but in this year and a half they have done nothing on this issue.”
Finally, a mention of conflicts (“Europe was born for peace and must remain for peace, but all countries must do their part to welcome”) and a new dig at the Meloni government: “Letting anti-abortionists enter the clinics is the only thing they did”.
A long round of applause accompanied the closing of the speech, then, as usual, a long moment dedicated to selfies with the supporters.
