The secret meeting between Schlein and Confindustria's president

In public she prefers not to, in private she prefers to. Elly Schlein continues to stay away from Confindustria meetings, but early on Wednesday 29 July, she received Emanuele Orsini at the Nazareno. The meeting, which was unannounced but of which Il Foglio is aware, lasted an hour and a half. Igor Taruffi was present alongside the PD secretary; Confindustria’s president was accompanied by its director-general, Maurizio Tarquini.

The meeting forms part of the consultations launched by Schlein with a view to forming a centre-left coalition and drawing up its programme. Following talks with Romano Prodi, Paolo Gentiloni and Mario Draghi, the secretary also sought to hear the views of the business community, signalling her intention to draw up a platform that is less left-leaning.

The first area of common ground is renewable energy: Schlein wants an extraordinary plan to unlock its potential, whilst Orsini is calling for over four thousand stalled projects to be given the green light. There is also agreement on the need to increase wages, but not on the minimum wage: Schlein supports it, whilst Orsini believes that thresholds should be set by the social partners. There is a clear divergence on the ETS, which the PD considers essential whilst Confindustria views it as punitive. Positions are closer on China and on European tariffs against unfair competition.

The political reality is this: Schlein does not attend industrialists’ meetings, but she does speak with industrialists. Away from the spotlight.