“Eravamo il campo largo”. D’Alema’s web of alliances between Schlein, Conte and Renzi

From Elly Schlein to Giuseppe Conte, right through to Matteo Renzi and Nicola Fratoianni: “We were the Broad Front”. This is Massimo D’Alema’s narrative, the push against a government of “crooks”, to use the words of the ‘lider maximo’. In his own way, he has always been a leading figure on the Italian left. Now, however, thanks to the promotion of his latest book "Eravamo comunisti", D’Alema has returned to the media limelight as well. With television appearances, interviews and, above all, book launches at which opposition leaders are set to participate over the coming days. Will they draw any conclusions from it? Is there also a lesson for the opposition in his book? "It’s difficult to answer briefly," D’Alema smiles. “But above all, it’s a question that should be put to them: whether they think there are any useful insights. It’s certainly not for me to say,” replies the former Prime Minister, the first (post-)communist to hold office at Palazzo Chigi. He is about to set off for “the Shanghai Expo, where I go every year”. Then he’ll return to focus on his latest literary endeavour. The tour began in Genoa with Silvia Salis (and Andrea Orlando), then travelled up and down Italy, and will continue with further stops where there is also a hint of politics. And so, in a few days’ time, in Rome (the date marked in red is likely to be the 19th, with Michela Ponzani and Valter Weltroni also being approached), D’Alema will be with the PD secretary. After all, these are the weeks in which the opposition is debating the programme and the scope of the alliance, despite vetoes and demands for guarantees. It is discussing primaries and preparing for the battle over the Budget Bill. These issues will be on the agenda of the PD executive committee, convened by Elly Schlein this afternoon. Those at the Nazareno remain convinced of the need to broaden the alliance – not only to include parliamentary forces but also civil society and social organisations – whose contributions should feed into the ‘broad coalition’ programme: an attempt to reach out to and mobilise the referendum voters, a group D’Alema has also referred to on several occasions in his speeches. Roberto Speranza is also convinced of this necessity to secure victory; in a sort of look back at the pandemic, he will be in Milan on 28 November with Giuseppe Conte and the former prime minister himself. By that date, the centre-left’s programme should be almost finalised. The discussion concerning the centre – or centres, who knows. The M5S leader has not forgotten the fall of the Conte II government and continues to demand guarantees. And who knows – perhaps some reassurance might come from D’Alema, who was Renzi’s great political adversary back when the former mayor wanted to ‘scrap’ him. Those were different times.

And indeed, to bring this full circle – and perhaps also that of the broader political spectrum – the two will be the main speakers at another event, in Florence itself, on 2 December. Joining them to present "Eravamo comunisti" is Nicola Fratoianni: another figure who shares at least some of Conte’s doubts. And who, deep down, hopes that Goffredo Bettini is right: “I was taught that in politics, it’s not the thinking behind it that counts, but what you see. Renzi has made a clear choice of sides, and I trust him.”