The Five Star Movement to Schlein: “Hold primaries immediately: that’s how the Ukraine issue can be resolved”

“Is Schlein saying she’ll be the candidate for Prime Minister with or without the primaries? Well then, let’s hold these primaries as soon as possible,” M5S Senator Alessandra Maiorino tells Il Foglio. Elly Schlein’s remarks at Sunday’s Democratic Party Assembly did not go unnoticed at the other key headquarters of the broad coalition – that of the M5S on Via di Campo Marzio. The PD secretary has cemented her leadership within the party – by extending her term of office and ruling out any other Democratic Party candidates in potential primaries – but the assembly also provided her with an opportunity to send a message to her M5S allies: primaries are not compulsory; either we agree on the rules, the scope of the contest and the timetable, or the progressive candidate for Palazzo Chigi will be her, the secretary of the strongest party. Arrogance? “I don’t think so; I wouldn’t be nit-picking or looking for far-fetched interpretations of Schlein’s speech: she is simply the leader of the largest party, so it’s only natural that she should aspire to lead the coalition. But she also said that primaries will take place, and that’s what matters,” says Maiorino, trying to pour water on the fire. “Certainly,” argues another Five Star Movement member more forcefully – Francesco Silvestri, MP and former parliamentary group leader in the Chamber of Deputies – “we see no alternative to the scenario of primaries to select the leadership. That is the way forward. We already have our internal programme, our candidate, Giuseppe Conte, and our vision of how these primaries should be conducted: we are ready.”

But it is precisely on the rules that the Five Star Movement and the PD have yet to reach an agreement. The Five Star Movement would like a vote to be held immediately, whilst the PD is calling for all outstanding issues regarding the programme to be resolved first at a round-table discussion. This includes the most complex issue: Ukraine. “Part of the manifesto,” says Silvestri, “we can already draft whilst the Budget Bill is going through its committee stage, which is due to begin shortly. It’s an excellent opportunity to set out our vision for the country through our shared proposals. Immediately afterwards, I see no other obstacles to holding the primaries, not least because if there is even the slightest possibility of a vote in May, it seems clear to me that these must take place by early February at the latest. It is an inevitable course of action.” The Five Star Movement’s demands are clear: a single-round primary, with online voting, which is not merely a choice of leader but also a choice regarding the “vision for the country”. “It is right that this should be the forum for resolving the issues that the party secretariats are unable to resolve,” says Silvestri, referring specifically to the issue of arms for Kyiv, whilst Maiorino outlines the key points for the Movement: “On social issues,” she says, “we already agree on almost everything, and we will also reach an agreement on the wealth tax. I believe the same applies to the recognition of Palestine.” The Ukraine issue, however, remains. “We,” says the senator, “believe that a progressive coalition should do everything possible to initiate a path of negotiation and put an end to this terrible conflict, which is now in the hands of Trump and Putin, with a complicit Europe that is not lifting a finger.”

Silvestri, who has always been one of the most ardent advocates of halting arms shipments to Kyiv, goes further and confirms that this is precisely the issue that the primaries can resolve. “My view,” he argues, “is that by engaging voters not only on the individual candidate but also on the approach to be taken on crucial issues, we are doing the right thing. No one is saying we should leave the drafting of the entire programme to the polling booths, but it is more than legitimate that issues which cannot be easily resolved at the negotiating table between the parties should be addressed in this way. In this way,” he continues, “we could also see what the progressive electorate is telling us through their vote. At that point, we would also have a clear indication of how to tackle these unresolved issues.” However, this does not seem to be the path favoured by the Nazareno, which wants to stand its ground on Ukraine. “The coalition, however, belongs to the voters too, not just the party leaders,” replies the Five Star Movement MP with eloquent malice.