Politics
Voices from Testaccio •
Avs supporters are praising the broad coalition and raising questions about Ranucci and Albanese as candidates. The only certainty: Renzi is out
At the Green Alliance and Left party rally, ‘the alternative’ gathers, though it remains without a programme or a leader. From the crowd, people shout: ‘Get a move on!’, in thick Roman dialect. Surprise: the Greens like Silvia Salis
Nicola Fratoianni, Elly Schlein, Angelo Bonelli and Giuseppe Conte at the national rally of Alleanza Verdi e Sinistra – photo: LaPresse
A broad, slow-moving process. The first meeting since the summer between the leaders of the main opposition parties is Terra!, the festival organised by the Green and Left Alliance. Angelo Bonelli and Nicola Fratoianni welcome Giuseppe Conte and Elly Schlein. An hour and a half of debate to say that yes, “there is an alternative”. All that is missing is “just” the programme and the leader. The audience in the hall shouts at the four leaders: “Get a move on.” However, no date has been announced for when work on the actual policy agenda will begin (the end of September is being considered).
It is regrettable that the programme also addresses leadership issues, or at least that is how the secretaries of the three parties—for months now—have been trying to bring the debate surrounding the primaries to a close. The red-green supporters also remain unconvinced by the names of Francesca Albanese and Sigfrido Ranucci, guests the day before yesterday and today respectively at the Avs event. Some say yes, some say no; some think Schlein should be the one to lead the charge, whilst others believe a ‘foreign pope’ is needed (there is renewed talk of Silvia Salis). Confusion reigns amidst talk of a wealth tax and disarmament. The only certainty remains Italia Viva leader Matteo Renzi: his presence within the centre-left – albeit only partially – continues to provoke grumbling and boos.