The duel that shouldn’t have happened, and that won’t be on TV, is staged in the theater. And the polarization of me against you and you against me, which is the true cord that unites Giorgia Meloni and Elly Schlein, overwhelms with the force of reality the outdated rules of equal conditions and becomes a compelling show in its own way because, net of the opposition leader’s need to attack the majority leader, which is physiological in a democracy, the comparison that is represented is that between two Italys, more or less equivalent but now it is the right-wing one that governs thanks to its numbers.
Meloni’s Italy is the one, by Giorgia’s own admission, that believes in a recipe and a vision, relies on government stability that gives the executive time to do things and then: «It’s make or break » says Meloni, «and I am certainly not fond of the chair which, moreover, costs me a lot of personal effort and sacrifices. But if I didn’t believe in what I do, I couldn’t bear to see my daughter for just an hour a day.”
Meloni-Schlein, remote comparison in Trento: from the super bonus to the premiership, up to compulsory military service, all the points addressed
Meloni-Schlein, the distances
The difference between the two Italys – and in the queues of participants to enter the theater at the two events there is the plastic representation of this dichotomy: «Meloni? Do you want the authoritarian grip? », Say Elly’s fans. «Schlein? But is it possible that the left only knows how to complain?”, say Giorgia’s fans – a lot comes from the premiership.
Meloni explains it like this: «A reform that modifies seven articles of the Constitution is a small-big revolution. It puts the snitch back in the hands of the citizens and makes them the true protagonists of politics; it guarantees stability to the executive which means that investors, entrepreneurs and everyone can trust because there is not a government crisis every year and a half; it helps the country system grow and helps the development of Italy’s substantial democracy.” «But imagine: the premiership is an attack that weakens democracy and the Constitution!», is Schlein’s reply. Giorgia: «The stronger the government, the more it has the strength to resist the pressures of lobbies, bureaucracies and all those subjects who want to influence politics». Undermining its autonomy. «Meloni only wants to impose this scheme: I am in charge of everyone», replies Schlein. He wants personal acclaim, through the premiership which does not exist anywhere in the world, to do as he pleases. Why doesn’t Meloni accept our modification proposals, for example on constructive no-confidence? Why doesn’t he sit down with us to change the electoral law? Because it is closed in the Palace and proceeds through institutional forcing. They want to weaken the figure of the referee, who is the President of the Republic.”
Not at all: «We – says Giorgia – want a directly elected head of government and the abolition of senators for life. The left is obstructing direct elections and demanding a doubling of the number of senators for life.” Two Italies, in fact. About this and everything else. Even in the look. Melons with a light gray cape over gray trousers and a white t-shirt, like a bourgeois lady (not upper middle class, since she is still and proudly an underdog). Schlein with a blue suit jacket and trousers, and white t-shirt as well as the inevitable sneakers on his feet without socks, which is more fashionable than institutional, more of trendy struggle than traditional government. And moreover, the political format chosen by Elly for this exhibition is precisely movement plus intense attacks on her rival (she nominates her about ten times, while Giorgia nominates Elly only twice and without fuss), while the posture adopted by the prime minister is reassuring and not bold. “We have the responsibility of making ends meet, but we are investing in work, in industrial development, in the interest of everything and everyone in the country.” Schlein gives a speech, and gets 24 rounds of applause from a super-loyal, all-democrat audience, while Meloni receives 8 rounds of applause because her audience is the normal one at the Economics Festival, with many school groups in the theatre. But the two leaders did not directly challenge each other.
Strategies
Same stage, same seats, but different interviewers (Maria Latella for Giorgia, Ferruccio De Bortoli for Schlein) and the prime minister had the disadvantage of speaking first while her rival spoke an hour and a half after Giorgia. And she took advantage of this advantage. He carefully studied the things said by Meloni, commented on them with his followers (“I will respond very harshly to some things, others are part of normal propaganda and oh well, a lot is thrown around during the election campaign”) and as soon as he arrives he goes on stage she immediately starts with her head down on the drama of low wages in Italy: «Meloni always places the responsibility on those who preceded her. Instead of taking on his responsibilities.” So you responded to Meloni who accused the left by saying that, when you governed, “the wages of Italians fell by 1 and a half percent and those of Germans grew by 17 percent.”
Overall, the television audience missed out on a great duel. In which personal demonization has been absent (thanks to both, and here is the strength of women), while the harshness of the political struggle has not faded into an unbearable molasses and of little use to citizens to form an idea and to give themselves a chosen on the 8th and on the 9th I reach the European Championships. The Two Italies are those in which Meloni assures: «Investments in public health are primary for us». And Elly: «They only want to favor private individuals». Or again. Profitometer? «The Renzi government wanted it in 2015», says the prime minister, who considers this «too invasive an instrument». The opposition leader’s reply exudes embarrassment (by the way: how much will Conte have suffered, having followed the double event in streaming?) and we also notice some of his difficulties regarding the super bonus wanted by the red-yellow government but then he tries his hand: « Brothers of Italy, if I’m not mistaken, voted in favor of the extension of this measure.”
The endorsements
The impression is that Meloni, in this deferred face to face (and the regret of the missed Porta a Porta always remains), wanted to let Schlein vent to underline what is dear to her: there are those who struggle and there are it is he who governs, with all the complications of the ordeal. The result was, however, that of a double instructive event. Not just infotainment, but also content. Therefore Romano Prodi appreciated Schlein’s performance. He had warned her that he would arrive towards the end, due to a coincident commitment at the 24 Hour Group Festival. But then he arrived, complimented Elly and the two hugged backstage.
If there is one thing that united the two leaders (divided to the maximum degree on minimum wage, green, Europe: ah, Europe, why was there so little talk about it on the eve of the European elections?) and that united the two audiences and also the two Italys, is the judgment on Stellantis. The task of saying what many think was taken by Schlein. At a certain point, he observes the dem secretary: «The State has given-given-given, and then there are companies that flee abroad after having had a lot. The State must be stronger against relocations. Someone took it and then went elsewhere, not caring about our community and our workers.” If Meloni had been in the front row of the theater, or on stage, she would have applauded.
Styles
Meloni is all stability and development. Schlein is all do little and too little. But one could object to the latter: yes, but if the money isn’t there, how can we do more? The paradox is that, who unites Giorgia and Elly, is Ursula (who the other day showered the Italian Prime Minister with compliments). But how can you say that perhaps the two leaders could find themselves together supporting – in an unprecedented right-left – the same EU president? In fact, both of them move away from the topic, helped by the two interviewers. And what a shame.
But Meloni focuses on Le Pen. Imagining taking her with him into the scenario that will open up after the June vote: «There are various points of contact with Le Pen. On immigrants, green, defense of identities. Let’s see if things can change in Europe. A margin exists. A different majority than the current one can be created. And we can aspire to a Europe in which bureaucracies matter less and people more. The problem is that globalization, and the role of the EU is part of this discussion, instead of strengthening democracy and reducing inequalities, has done the opposite: power has become verticalized in the hands of increasingly richer people and people have become impoverished . We want to fight this trend.”
And so, Meloni recipe, Schlein recipe: the mere fact that Italian politics still believes in the potential of a constructive conflict is good news. This scene is too. Entering and leaving the theater in Trento, both Meloni and Schlein addressed those who saw them like this – very quickly: “Please, go and vote.”
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