Prodi, Veltroni, Gentiloni. The figures behind the applause from the Democratic Party reformists for Meloni

Rome. The applause – or rather, the rounds of applause – and behind that applause, not a theatre but a whole world. The applause in question was captured in the Senate on 14 October. The scene is as follows: Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is speaking, mentions Kyiv, and says that Kyiv must not surrender to Russian aggression. “No one will convince me that the surrender of those defending their freedom can be called peace… Support for Kyiv, with particular attention to the civilian population, pressure on Moscow and Euro-Atlantic unity remain the pillars of our action.” And again: “Support for Ukraine is not an alternative to peace, but is what makes it possible. And surrender is not peace; it is conquest.” And so it is that not only does the leader of Azione, Carlo Calenda, applaud, but so too do the independent senator and former Christian Democrat elected with the PD, Pierferdinando Casini, and the three reformist Democratic Party senators: Sandra Zampa, Filippo Sensi and Walter Verini. And, suddenly, in the background, one catches a glimpse of yet another world – the one in which the political history, but also in some ways the present, of those applauding is rooted. And at the same time, the implicit connection – in the form of a shared vision – comes to the fore between the three applauding senators and three figures who have played a leading role in the country’s affairs: the former prime ministers Romano Prodi and Paolo Gentiloni, for whom Sandra Zampa and Filippo Sensi respectively served as spokespersons, and Walter Veltroni, mayor of Rome, Prodi’s former deputy prime minister, co-founder and first leader of the PD founded at the Lingotto, for which Verini served as the long-standing chief of staff. While Zampa, Sensi and Verini have long drawn a red line on the issue of Ukraine – one that is insurmountable and impervious to any temptation within the broader political spectrum to back down from defending the Ukrainian cause without ifs or buts – their stance (the applause), beyond the divide separating them from the majority, reveals an exchange of ideas on common ground. This brings to mind, for example, Gentiloni who, on television, in interviews, and most recently on stage at this newspaper’s ‘Festival of Optimism’ in Florence, said he agreed “with the words used by Elly Schlein on the need to continue supporting Ukraine. ‘The opposition alliance must take account of the PD’s view, which, setting aside internal nuances, is very clear’, but he also said that ‘the issue has become decisive in terms of each person’s attitude towards democracy and Europe. There can be no compromise on support for Ukraine’. If the opposition comes to power, Gentiloni asks rhetorically, ‘will Italy ever be able to change its position on the war? Can we side with Orbán? I don’t think so. We need to tell it like it is, even at home. Foreign policy is important. But here we are going beyond simply having a common position on other issues. The dividing line today between sovereigntists and democrats is support for Ukraine’. And to those who accuse the EU of lacking clout, Gentiloni replies: ‘The EU has had an excellent foreign policy; it has chosen to be there without the Americans’. As for Prodi, the former prime minister has been saying for years that Kyiv’s resistance and its choice to be an integral part of Europe are closely linked to our continent’s democratic values. Not only is he convinced that Kyiv should join the EU, but also that sending arms to Ukraine was a “matter of necessity” for the West, and that there were no alternatives if the invaded country was to be defended. It is not merely a gesture of realpolitik, but the way to uphold the principles on which a united Europe is founded. It was then Veltroni who, in an interview with La 7, stated that “just as we stood with Vietnam, so now we must stand with those under attack” and that “those who care about world peace must not hesitate to condemn those who advocate a war of aggression”. “If Putin wins,” Veltroni asked, “will Europe be more or less secure? That is the question the Meloni government must answer.” The senators’ applause appeared to suggest that, in their view, she has already provided an answer.