Broad coalition on the economy and opposition to rearmament; mixed views on support for Kyiv
Today, each party will present its own resolution on the EU Council. On the DPEF, however, they are all united: “There is already a common policy framework here,” says Schlein
Key points
“The joint resolution on the DPFP demonstrates that the alternative to the right-wing parties is already built on a common policy framework: 21 points on economic and social policy that progressive forces have agreed upon, building on their work in parliamentary opposition: from growth to employment and wages, from equal parental leave to the defence of universal healthcare, from the right to housing to industrial policy, right through to opposition to the budget deviation aimed at increasing military spending. This resolution represents, in effect, a first draft of the progressive alliance’s programme, a concrete starting point for changing Italia.”
A broad spectrum of views on foreign policy: each party has its own resolution
PD Secretary Elly Schlein is celebrating this evening’s unanimous resolution by the broad coalition on the DPEF. It is a pity, however, that the issue of Ukraine remains a major point of division between the Democrats and Giuseppe Conte’s party, which – not coincidentally – emphasises the ‘no to rearmament’ clause in the joint resolution on the DPEF in its own way (‘‘We are truly proud to have united the opposition around our rejection of rearmament. Because weapons do not feed Italians, nor do they provide them with healthcare’). The result is that today there will be one resolution per party from the broad coalition on the European Council.
Provenzan0 (PD) admits: the Ukraine issue won’t be resolved overnight
The issue of support – including military support – for Kyiv is one that will not be easily resolved, as Giuseppe Provenzano, head of foreign affairs at the Schleinian secretariat, admits: ‘In the European Council, we will proceed with the resolutions put forward by each political group, just as the right has always done during the years it was in opposition. The Ukraine issue will not be resolved overnight through a parliamentary vote. As the leaders have said in recent days, a solution that respects international law will be found at the coalition’s negotiating table.”
Schlein tightens the screws within the PD: a closed-door meeting with MPs, followed by a meeting to confirm his re-election
Meanwhile, the secretary is trying to rally the PD behind her candidacy in the primaries: tomorrow, 15 October, the parliamentary group in the Chamber of Deputies will meet for a sort of two-day conclave at Rondine Cittadella della Pace, in the province of Arezzo, and on Sunday 18th the national assembly will be called upon to vote on extending Schlein’s term as secretary ahead of the spring elections. This is the first time in the PD’s history that a secretary has completed the full four-year term laid down in the party’s constitution.
