The dem secretary claims a victory that does not belong to her: record abstention, cumbersome “caciques” and imposed allies dismantle her optimistic narrative. And the future of the Democratic Party could even ignore her.
Monday by Elly Schlein is happy and lunar, no one between Naples and Bari jumps from one stage to another, from one square to another, with his liberating enthusiasm. A suspicious and constructed cheerfulness, with which the secretary of the Democratic Party would like to make us forget the darkest period of her regency.
Prodi and the Quirinale against Schlein
Slapped by a monument like Romano Prodi (“the Nazarene does not have a credible proposal”) and cornered even by the Quirinale (“Let’s hope that something changes”, Francesco Garofani dixit), the opposition’s number one was doing badly and needed to turn a race without opponents in the home dining room into a success.
A “Napoleonic” victory but without merit
As the most obvious victory of recent political history has become for her a kind of Napoleonic Austerlitz. “Here’s an Italy that finally wants to send this government home,” she let slip. And to those who pointed out that the regional derby ended 3-3 she replied with a lexical contradiction: “But this electoral round has no national value.” Replica of Matteo Salvini: «I wish Schlein long hope».
Excess optimism is curbed by analysts. Nicola Piepoli is clear: «The center-left in those regions wins by habit, by natural force. (…) It is a typical expression of the southern electorate.”
Who really won? Not her
Beyond the excitement of the moment, Elly’s toasts sound fake for a simple reason: This time she didn’t win either.
Because in Campania the governor is Roberto Ficoan expression of the more traditional M5s.
Because in Puglia he dominated Antonio Decarolinked to the reformist Democratic Party and good administration, light years away from the secretary’s movement.
And why 60% of voters stayed at homea sign of profound disaffection.
THE’differentiated autonomy it is not a demand but a solution.
The Neapolitan shadows
Schlein celebrates to hide the gloom that accompanies the result.
In Naples it had to surrender twice.
The first by agreeing to negotiate with Vincenzo De Lucawhom she defined as “cacique”, bowing to an agreement steeped in nepotism: the father on the bench, the son Piero regional secretary of the Democratic Party.
The second by swallowing Fig and holding the tail a Giuseppe Contedespite preferring Gaetano Manfredi.
The Puglia case and the forced embrace of Emiliano
Things didn’t go any better in Puglia. To win he had to embrace another “cacique”, Michele Emilianoand haggling with his old team. He accepted the loose cannon Nichi Vendola so as not to split the wide field.
And it worked out well Decarocloser to Reformist Base than to her, more mayor than movement activist. Not by chance he refused to go on stage with national leaders at the last rally.
Paradoxically, its widespread success is a wake-up call for the balance of the Nazarene.
Schlein “dance alone”
Schlein doesn’t realize it and dance alone.
In the end he even sums up, attributing to the prime minister attitudes that are exclusively hers.
«Giorgia Meloni has little to celebrate and little to skip. Where we don’t win like in Veneto we double the result (…). The game for the next political elections is wide open.”
He seems to speak to his people.
And in wriggling without brakes, one detail escapes her: the Democratic Party could play that match without her.
