Silvia Salis on Otto e Mezzo: “Me in national politics? Not this time round. The coalition? We need Renzi too.”

No immediate move into national politics for Silvia Salis. Appearing last night on Otto e mezzo on La7, the mayor of Genoa made it clear that she has "another four years of her term" ahead of her in the Ligurian capital and that, if one day she were to take on a role at national level, "it won't be next time round". On the subject of the centre-left primaries, Salis urged that no more time be wasted: “Let’s just get on with them now,” she said, so that they can move on to “the next phase of consolidation”. When asked who she would support, she avoided taking sides, saying it would be unfair to the parties backing her to name a specific candidate. She identifies with the PD, but will support whoever wins. A defeat for Elly Schlein, she added, would “certainly be a severe blow”, given the gap that has opened up between them and the Five Star Movement in terms of support. As for her relationship with the PD secretary, Salis explained that the two speak frequently, but that Schlein has not formally asked her to act as a “unifying force” for the progressive camp.

The stance on alliances was also clear: “We can win anywhere, even in the centre, which carries as much weight as the far left,” observed the mayor. “As far as I’m concerned, everyone’s in – even Renzi: the aim is to win.” Finally, the discussion turned to energy and foreign policy. On nuclear power, Salis believes that a progressive camp must act with “scientific neutrality”, assessing costs and benefits in an apolitical manner, because a country’s independence also depends on the number of energy sources available. Finally, on Ukraine, she reiterated that support must continue: “We cannot fail to express solidarity as Europe.”