Schlein is seeking an extension, but the PD wants a steering committee to decide on the candidates

Are they democrats or party bosses? The PD will demand something in return for extending Elly Schlein’s tenure. There is a very narrow window that Schlein has deliberately overlooked, and which risks costing her dearly. On 12 September, her term as party secretary expires and, according to the party constitution, a party congress is automatically convened. On the 13th, in Reggio Emilia, at the Festa dell’Unità, Schlein will be forced to announce the convening of a national assembly in October (rumours suggest the 10th). This is by no means a mere extension. In exchange for their vote, the party leaders are aiming for a say in the selection of candidates. Here, tenure is paid for in seats.

Take note: the PD Congress is no less important than the coalition primaries, nor is it any less significant than Conte’s unease. It is no less important than the search for a third candidate to challenge Meloni, because Schlein’s viability hinges on the outcome of this congress. Party leaders who do not trust her, and who are seeking re-election, will make the most of this necessary extension. It is clear that Schlein’s term as secretary must be extended, but extending it for six months is quite different from extending it for a year. If the vote is postponed until the end of the parliamentary term, Schlein would remain secretary until October 2027. Anything can be done – and will be done – through the clauses, but the devil is in the detail. The PD’s constitution consists of 55 articles. The congress, due to take place at the end of the term, is convened by the president, in this case Stefano Bonaccini. There is no getting round it. The constitution states that the congress must be convened within six months. To allow for a postponement, a transitional provision is required. How does this process work? The PD Assembly is convened – the very same assembly where, a year ago, an attempt was made on the quiet to insert the clause extending the deadline, but to no avail. This congress has been the subject of discussion for a full six months now, and the first to raise the issue was Michele Anzaldi. The deadline has now arrived and Schlein has, quite deliberately, remained silent. She has done so because she wants to see who will dare to challenge her, who will dare to state plainly that this amendment cannot be made. She overlooks the nature of a party approaching an election, which is hiding behind this document drafted by the PD’s founding fathers, including the historian Vassallo – a rigid document – and the fact that within the PD, things are not spoken of plainly. Whispers are circulating. Not only must the Assembly be convened, but it must meet in person, and before that the membership list must be updated and replacements appointed. To amend the constitution, an absolute majority of those entitled to vote is required. It is always the same constitution that opens up unknown paths. Who says that the secretary must be the sole candidate in the coalition primaries? Schlein is touring Italy because she is seeking a guarantee that she will be the candidate in the primaries. In Martina Franca – as recounted by the ‘Tolkien of Puglia’, Michele De Feudis, in the Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno – Schlein was effectively crowned by Emiliano and Decaro (the very same Decaro who had sought an agreement with Silvia Salis), who now say: ‘Elly, you are our leader and candidate’.

In theory, should coalition primaries take place, the PD could put forward other candidates alongside the secretary’s candidacy. The name being mentioned is that of Giorgio Gori. Can Schlein perhaps prevent this? The PD is not Vannacci’s political circus, where people are expelled and amended if the caponata has left a bad taste in their mouths. The congress must proceed, and a notary is also required; furthermore, there must be a Member of Parliament present at the Assembly to act as a sponsor: ‘I request that the constitution…’. Even figuratively, this has its own significance. It is a genuine political transition, and the leaders want it to be negotiated as follows: a select committee of faction leaders to manage the upcoming candidacies and prevent a ‘night of the brooms’ on the candidate lists. On the 13th, in Reggio Emilia, the news—the long-awaited acquisition of L’Unità—may turn into this assembly, a trade-off, Sbardelli’s adage: ‘To Elly, whatever you need’.