The governor and his former deputy are contending for the leadership of the Italian left

Stefano Bonaccini and Elly Schlein will compete in the primaries

The governor of Emilia-Romagna, Stefano Bonaccini, and his former MP, MP Elly Schlein, will contest the final stage of the primaries which will elect the new leader of the Democratic Party (PD), the largest centre-left party in Italy and the main opposition force to the government of Giorgia Meloni.

The PD released this Monday (20) the final result of the vote held since the beginning of February among party members, which sees Bonaccini with 52.87% of the votes (79,787), against 34.88% (52,637) by Schlein.

Followed by the deputy and former president of the Democratic Party Gianni Cuperlo, with 7.96% (12,008), and also the deputy and former minister of Transport Paola De Micheli, with 4.29% (6,475).

Only the two with the most votes will advance to next Sunday’s primaries (26), which will be open to all voters, including those of other parties, which will significantly increase the number of participants.

The result was already awaited and pits an experienced 56-year-old governor against a young 37-year-old deputy, representative of the more progressive wings of the PD, who is trying to reinvent himself after his categorical victory in the parliamentary elections last September.

Bonaccini has governed Emilia-Romagna, an important region in central-northern Italy and a historic bastion of the Italian left, since December 2014. Curiously, she had Schlein as her deputy between February 2020 and October 2022, when she resigned after being elected deputy .

Born in Sorengo, in Italian-speaking Switzerland, Schlein is trinational (Italian, Swiss and American) and seeks to mobilize above all the younger electorate disenchanted with politics to bring the center-left closer to the people.

“We need a clear identity of the left, which, currently, cannot give up being an ecologist and feminist as well. There is a desire for change that finds clear words against precariousness and inequalities”, said the deputy at an event last Sunday (19 ).

Bonaccini, in turn, pretends to be a “competent and modern” coach to offer an alternative to Meloni. “I think I have the experience, the history and the qualities to lead this party. Above all to build a new center-left, because the first objective will be to return to government,” Bonaccini said on Monday. .

Source: Terra

Rose

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