Two lines to the left? “Support for Ukraine exists and will continue to exist,” says Democrat Sensi

A fine line runs along the periphery of the centre-left: ranging from ‘no more arms to Ukraine’ (see Giuseppe Conte, albeit with infinite nuances depending on the context) to ‘we have supported and will continue to support the Ukrainian people, who have been unjustly invaded by Putin’s military offensive’ (see Elly Schlein in Reggio Emilia) to the obsessive idea of the ‘negotiator’. In the space between these positions, however, lies reality, says Democratic Party Senator Filippo Sensi: “Support for Ukraine exists and will continue to exist, not only from the PD but from the entire centre-left coalition currently being formed. As things stand, no alliance has yet been formed; there are some parties that have been working together for some time, both outside and inside Parliament, including Italia Viva. And there is a desire to build, together – and with any other forces that may join – a credible political platform.” A lofty programme. But Sensi appears convinced: “Whatever the form and composition of the alliance, support for Ukraine – both military and political – will not be lacking.”

So are these just words, then? And would they be, if Schlein didn’t win the primaries? “It is unthinkable that a European government of any political persuasion – unless led by a Nigel Farage, a Viktor Orbán or a Roberto Vannacci – could take any stance other than one of total support for Ukraine”. Some people have thought so, however. “It’s one thing to speak for the sake of political positioning; it’s quite another to ignore the fact that, with that stance, you’ll get nowhere in the Italian centre-left.” Not least because Russia isn’t standing still – quite the opposite. “It always strikes me as odd when people say that ‘war could come to Europe’, as if war weren’t already in Europe and as if Ukraine were situated somewhere else that has nothing to do with us. I find it chilling, just as I find it absurd to launch a debate about the negotiator whilst Kyiv and Odessa are being bombed every day. And whilst Conte was talking about saying ‘no’ to arms two days ago, Russia was bombing just one kilometre from Poland. There is nothing to prove: unfortunately, the facts speak for themselves. And, given these facts, an isolationist, selfish, indifferent stance – or one sympathetic to Putin’s arguments – has no place in a liberal democracy. Not at the level of political action, that is, once we move beyond the realm of mere opinion.”

Sweden, however, is stemming the tide of the far right. A sigh of relief, a turnaround, or an isolated case? “On closer inspection, Sweden reveals an interesting fact: in Stockholm, a centre-right party—willing to govern for the first time—faced off against a far-right party, previously confined to the role of external support, and a centre-left coalition that was difficult to form, where a centrist party was unwilling to compromise with its left-wing ally. A situation not dissimilar to our own. But, despite these differences, on certain points there was no debate: Sweden has joined NATO, full stop; no one questions NATO. And the manifesto of the PD’s sister party in Sweden not only includes military support for Ukraine and NATO, but also a commitment to national rearmament, complete with conscription.”

Perhaps our centre-left needs a seminar, or a trip up north? “If we believe that the attack is on Europe, on democracy and on our liberal values, then what is happening in Sweden, just as in Ukraine, concerns us closely. War has already come to our doorstep. And if you don’t want to put on a helmet, you must speak clearly and responsibly, so that people understand you”. Are there those who do not speak clearly? “I find the attempt – particularly by the M5S – to use the terms ‘disarmament’ and ‘rearmament’ as the new dividing line, as the boundary between what is left-wing and what is not, to be deceitful. I have always been in favour of peace, but to think that the ‘rearmament versus disarmament’ divide is the defining issue in Italian politics is, in my view, a sham. Not to mention the rhetoric of those who claim, ‘They’re giving money to the arms industry and taking it away from welfare’. It’s the packaging behind which only one thing is hidden: abandoning Ukraine to its own devices. A major European country like Italy cannot afford to make this choice.”

Sensi advises “beautiful souls” to read “Not Born for War,” the book by the Ukrainian Artem Chapai: “A left-wing, pacifist and feminist man who, faced with the Russian invasion, had no choice but to get his wife and children to safety and enlist. ‘I am a man of peace,’ he tells us, ‘but how can you turn a blind eye, especially if you are on the left?’”