The left’s self-sabotage in an attempt to lose the elections is based on a strategy: making headlines primarily for what it fails to do

There are conspiracies in politics that are often portrayed in a grotesque light and which, more often than not, are attributed to mysterious and abstract entities such as, for example, the infamous ‘powers that be’, the ruthless ‘system’ or the fearsome ‘establishment’. There are conspiracies in politics that, when mentioned, are difficult to take seriously without simply laughing them off. Yet occasionally conspiracies in politics are concrete, evident, and glaringly obvious, and in such cases we need to pause for a moment, connect the dots, and reflect. The most significant, most out-in-the-open conspiracy characterising the current political climate is the incredible and passionate effort being made by the centre-left to try and lose the forthcoming general election. The centre-left’s strategy to achieve what no one in the history of our Republic has ever managed – namely, to reach the run-up to a general election from the opposition without being the clear favourite to win – is sophisticated, refined and elaborate, but it is perhaps best defined by the agenda that the broad coalition has chosen to implement to tackle the most delicate phase: to demonstrate that it is, ultimately, not only capable of campaigning but also of governing.

The centre-right – as you’ve seen, and as you see every day – is the one making headlines, for better or for worse, because of what it does or tries to do. Over the electoral law (fascism, shame on them!). Over the temporary abolition of road tax (demagoguery, shame on them!). For its migration policies, which are in line with those of half of Europe but not with Spain’s (racism, shame!). For class quotas for foreign pupils set by law rather than by ministerial circular (xenophobia, shame!). For the ban on the burqa in schools (extremist, shame!). For the conditions regarding Ukraine set for a possible alliance with Vannacci (hypocritical, shame on them!). For nuclear power (it’s unnecessary, shame on them!). The centre-left, on the other hand, in an attempt to lend credibility to its self-sabotage – to try and lose the next elections, a difficult mission to which the progressive front is, however, devoting itself with dedication – has chosen to deploy a different strategy, aiming to make the headlines solely and exclusively for what it does not do and for what it fails to do.

The centre-left is making headlines because it still cannot decide what to do about the primaries, still cannot draw up a manifesto, still cannot convene a meeting to decide what to do about the party conference, still cannot define the scope of its alliance, still cannot find common ground on Ukraine, it cannot find a way to speak out with one voice against Russian incursions into European airspace, it cannot bring itself to support bills that are difficult to oppose – such as the one on anti-Semitism – and it cannot find a different approach to building an alternative other than claiming it is not like Meloni, Salvini, Tajani or Vannacci.

The centre-left’s self-conspiracy draws on a cultured, sophisticated and literary tradition, clearly inspired by Montale – that is, Eugenio Montale – who deserves a privileged place in the pantheon of the broad coalition for his famous line ‘This alone can we tell you today / what we are not, what we do not want’, contained in ‘Non chiederci la parola’, a poem from ‘Ossi di seppia’Yet choosing to build an alternative through a strategy of negation, focusing on what one is not, carries specific implications: either seeking to dictate the agenda or submitting to it while attempting to turn negation—the act of not being—into a strength. The centre-right, after months of difficulties, has chosen the former path. The centre-left, following the euphoria of the referendum, has chosen the second path and is well on the way to making ‘Ossi di campo largo’ more than just a distant project.