Italy’s left-wing parties took to the streets of Rome to protest the government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Euractiv reported.
Members of Elly Schlein’s Democratic Party and former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte’s 5-Star Movement gathered in Piazza del Popolo to participate in the protest. In their speeches, Ely Schlein, Giuseppe Conte, Angelo Bonelli of the Greens and Nicola Fratoianni of Sinistra Italiana called for unity as an alternative to the ruling right.
“There is an alternative (…) A new phase begins here. The left must be rebuilt (…), but political convergence and a united spirit are also needed. This is the square of rediscovered pride.”
Despite the dialogue on the left front, the former prime minister stressed his commitment to the idea of the “right camp.”
I am for the ‘right camp’ and not the ‘wide camp’. We are here to confirm the dialogue that has already begun with PD (…) we are autonomous forces, and dialogue serves to converge and mark differences.
Schlein and Conte criticised the Meloni government’s financial policy: what they called failed attempts to combat tax evasion, reform the budget and introduce a minimum wage. In addition to the recent agreement with Albania on migration management, they also sharply criticised Meloni’s proposal to change the prime minister’s mandate.
“After a year of the Meloni government (…) I would like us to say one simple thing together: enough. Enough with this government that picks on the weakest because the right is always the same and doesn’t give a damn about those who have less.”
Meloni responded to the criticism on X, formerly Twitter:
Dear Elly, we simply want the citizens to have more power, thus giving more strength and stability to Italy. That is what every sincere ‘democrat’ should support.
The latest polls conducted by AGI/YouTrend Supermedia reveal that the PD and 5 Star Movement parties are currently showing a slight downward trend (19.4% and 16% respectively).
Meanwhile, support for Meloni’s Fratelli d’Italia is growing (28.8%), with the League and Forza Italia showing stable results (9% and 7.3% respectively).
