What can the PD do to ensure it does not become the ‘generic Five Star Movement’? Sensi (PD) writes to us

Dear Editor, just a sentence, barely a line, prompted by Andrea Graziosi’s insightful reflection on the Democratic Party’s line (who knows, in this age of algorithms, whether such a ‘line’ even exists any more) and its nature. I shall not delve into the inner workings of my party or the eternal crisis of the left – whether it wins or loses – though it now seems, according to Graziosi, that the reformist stance is less prominent (yes, but what about Carney? And Mette Frederiksen? Glucksmann?).

The crux of the matter, it seems to me, is the level of populism injected into the system, and thus the debate over whether victory lies with the centre or the left. ‘There’s Trump,’ my people say, ‘so it’s up to Mamdani, or AOC, or Sánchez’ (who, however, is certainly rearming, just as Burnham does, in support of Ukraine). The new etiquette dictates that you do it, but without saying so, or by maintaining a poker face whilst saying the opposite. Generally, they fall for it, at least for a while. Take the scam of Italy’s rearmament, à la Galeazzo Musolesi, imposed by the Five Star Movement’s spin doctor: if you see military exercises in apartment blocks or factories churning out arquebuses, you know who’s to blame – NATO, of course.

Let me add a personal observation, Editor. Of course, when it comes to all this global mess, who is ultimately to blame? The reformists in the PD, of course – how wrong you are. Having had the ill-fated idea of waging their battles within the PD rather than outside, on the legendary open plains, they’re taking the flak from everyone: from those who’ve left, from the majority still inside the party, from the right, and even from Graziosi, who asks, ‘But why call yourselves reformists, then? ‘But what reforms have you ever actually carried out?’ They’ve even been called ‘the least capable of seeing the new reality in which we live’. Nemo propheta, and in fact, about thirty of us withdrew our mandates the other day in the Assembly – not exactly easy, believe me, on Coronation Day. Yet reformism is a method, Professor, not a CV or a shopping list; it is the idea that change occurs incrementally, as far as we can, and perhaps we achieve it together. Sometimes with courage, as at La Nuvola.

We are not – yet – the generic Five Star Movement. The Democratic Party is and will remain this: perhaps not very ‘Pedro’, not very sexy – the teetotalling friend who takes you home after a wild night out at the disco. Kind regards.