The PD reformists’ alternative programme: Ukraine at the centre and an immigration agency

This is the (mini) counter-programme from the reformists. Or rather, a contribution: "Quattro proposte per il tavolo del programma". Ukraine takes centre stage. “The centre-left government will support Kyiv,” the document states. But there is also room for immigration: the idea is to set up an agency “reporting to Palazzo Chigi”. Then there are education, the economy and competitiveness. At the programme discussions – today’s session on labour, tomorrow’s much-anticipated one on Kyiv – the reformists are not present for the time being. In the meantime, their contribution has arrived.

Here is the full document. 

After four years of stagnation and division, Italy needs to look ahead, tackle the changes and turn them into opportunities. The centre-left is working on its programme. As reformists, we want to contribute to this work by presenting an initial set of proposals on some of the issues being debated at the programme’s working groups. For us, economic growth and social justice, innovation and rights, national responsibility and European ambition must go hand in hand. We are doing this with a pragmatic and constructive approach because it is not enough simply to highlight the problems: we must set out concrete, measurable and achievable solutions, adopting the PNRR approach as the framework for action across the entire public administration.

We are at the start of a third phase of European integration, following the Europe of the Founding Fathers and that of the euro. It is time to take a new leap forward: to complete the single market, strengthen the banking and energy unions, build a European model for artificial intelligence, develop a common defence policy and provide the Union with its own resources.

The aim is a Europe that is more self-sufficient in terms of energy, technology, digital affairs and security; stronger on the international stage; and capable of combining competitiveness, growth and social cohesion. The Italian left has always recognised this and, through its own ideas – without ever abandoning them – has contributed over the decades to building a more united, more social and stronger Europe. For this reason, we must ensure we make an ambitious contribution to the initiatives of the von der Leyen Commission to spur the European institutions to move towards an increasingly integrated Europe, one that is fair in terms of social policies and growth, and one that is influential on the international stage.

Helping Ukraine means helping the new Europe. The centre-left government will continue to support Ukraine’s resistance, alongside its other European partners, by participating in and strengthening all joint support mechanisms.

Without growth, Italy will continue to become poorer. There is no clear dividing line between measures for development and social and welfare policies, which are often pitted against one another in public debate. Growth, as this document also highlights, begins with investment in education, universities and research. We also believe that we must put a stop to decisions on pensions that are driven more by the pursuit of short-term consensus amongst a few groups than by a balanced approach and the pursuit of the common good – especially for young people – in the long term.

Italy’s growth depends on its ability to innovate its production system. It is not enough simply to provide incentives for the purchase of machinery: technology boosts productivity when it is accompanied by new skills, improved organisational models and investment in research.

We propose reviving the Tax Credit 4.0 scheme, linking the incentives to the technical and managerial support services offered by Competence Centres and European Digital Innovation Hubs. We also wish to increase private investment in research and development and promote a National Plan for the adoption of artificial intelligence in businesses, with incentives for training, digital transformation and the creation of new specialised businesses.

Innovation must be a means of fostering competitiveness, good employment and higher wages.

The choice is not between open borders and closed borders. It is between immigration left to irregularity and disorder, and a policy capable of managing arrivals, guaranteeing rights and promoting integration.

We propose a model for legal immigration inspired by the most advanced examples, such as the Canadian model, with entry channels linked to the needs of businesses and local areas, sponsorship schemes and lists of available workers. To achieve this, we propose a National Immigration Agency, reporting to the Prime Minister’s Office, to coordinate legal entry, reception and integration policies, bringing together skills and resources that are currently fragmented. Border security and control will remain the responsibility of the relevant authorities.

The right to education must be genuinely free and guarantee every child the same opportunities, regardless of their family’s income or the local authority in which they live.

We are proposing a National Plan to make schools comfortable even during the hottest months, through measures such as efficient air conditioning, insulation and ventilation. We want schools to be open all year round, offering educational, cultural and sporting activities in the afternoons and during the holidays, organised in collaboration with local councils, associations and the third sector. A pilot scheme could accompany this transition towards a more balanced school calendar.

We also propose making textbooks, school meals and transport free for all pupils in compulsory education, through a national structural fund. Education must not be a financial burden on families, but rather a collective investment in the future.

Freedom is only real when everyone has the means to exercise it. It means being able to find skilled work, live in a country that innovates, have access to a high-quality education, participate in the life of one’s community, move freely within Europe and build one’s own future.

This is the challenge facing the centre-left government: to combine ambition with practicality, rights with responsibilities, and innovation with solidarity. We want to commit ourselves not to an agenda of promises, but to a project that will change Italy, making it more dynamic, fairer and open to the future.