The long-distance spat between Conte and Schlein over military aid to Ukraine

"No to rearmament". M5S leader Giuseppe Conte writes this in chalk on a blackboard in a video published today, following a weekend that saw the two main forces within the broad coalition locked in a standoff over one of the most contentious issues for the centre-left: support for Kyiv. On Ukraine, “it is clear that we will need to clarify a few key points in advance, because we cannot have a situation where Schlein or another candidate wins tomorrow morning and then we start sending weapons galore to Kyiv, fuelling a military escalation that is leading us towards a third world war day by day,” Conte said yesterday at the Festa del Fatto Quotidiano at La Versiliana in Marina di Pietrasanta.

On the same day, the secretary of the PD, Elly Schlein, put forward a completely opposite view: “We have supported and will continue to support the people of Ukraine, who have been unjustly invaded by Putin’s military offensive, which continues to this day,” she stated at the closing rally of the National Unity Festival in Reggio Emilia. “We have asked Europe to make a diplomatic and political effort, to take the initiative, to appoint a European negotiator. I believe the EU must have a clear, strong foreign policy that represents all 27 Member States; otherwise, we risk being unable to support the only just peace, which is not surrender to the aggressor’s demands.” Indeed, in her interview with Il Foglio, the Democratic Party leader had already expressed no doubt whatsoever regarding military support for Kyiv: “We voted wholeheartedly to help Ukraine defend itself by all means, and I stand by that.”

Conte’s position, on the other hand, is ever-changing. Just a few weeks ago, when asked, “Will you ever include the M5S symbol in a government programme that may involve supplying arms to Ukraine for as long as necessary?”, he stalled for time, replying: “We’ll see; I’ll answer that question once the joint programme is finalised and the primaries have taken place.”

Just two weeks later, Conte is no longer taking his time on rearmament. And he ends up clashing with the most reformist wing of the PD. 

“He’s getting worked up, poor chap. He’ll just have to get over it,” wrote Democratic Party Senator Filippo Sensi on his X profile: “Support for Ukraine, for the resistance in defence of the values of freedom and democracy that Kyiv upholds every day, will continue. This is what the left does; this is what democrats do. With all due respect to Italy’s Vannacci.” Lorenzo Guerini, MP and chair of Copasir, shares this view, stating that not only will support for Ukraine continue, but “in fact it will improve, given that in recent months Italy has scaled back its aid, pending the achievement of a ceasefire and the start of fair negotiations. They’ll just have to get over it.” Lia Quartapelle was even harsher: “The insistence with which Conte reiterates his delusional positions on Ukraine, when he knows full well that the PD, IV and Più Europa are voting to continue supporting the invaded country, suggests that he does not want the coalition to remain united,” wrote the PD vice-chair of the Chamber of Deputies’ Foreign Affairs Committee, concluding with extremely harsh words directed at the leader of the M5S: "He is not an ally but a saboteur." Giuseppe Conte is standing firm on his "non-negotiable position," but the PD has one too: to continue helping Ukraine.