Italy’s two largest opposition parties, the Democratic Party (PD) and the 5-Star Movement (M5S), exchanged sharp criticisms on Saturday over how to form a united front against Premier Giorgia Meloni and her right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) party.
Speaking at a PD assembly in Rome, Secretary Elly Schlein urged opposition parties to collaborate in building a credible alternative to the ruling coalition.
“We cannot spend this year with each one of us focusing on our own business and postponing the work of building an alternative, which we owe to our people, until the eve of the next general election,” Schlein said.
M5S Pushes Back
Chiara Appendino, Vice President of the M5S and former mayor of Turin, dismissed Schlein’s call, accusing the PD of lacking consistency on key issues. She criticised the PD for actions such as supporting Raffaele Fitto, a member of Meloni’s FdI party, for the role of European Commission Vice President and backing military aid to Ukraine.
“In addition to calling for unity, we must be stubbornly coherent,” Appendino said. “Words and appeals are not enough. Let’s not run away from the problems, dear Elly. Assume your responsibilities. To beat this right, we need a credible alternative; we need to be stubbornly pacifist, environmentalist, and progressive. Deeds count, not labels.”
Criticism of Meloni
Schlein also took aim at Premier Meloni, accusing her of presenting a distorted narrative of Italy’s progress at the Atreju festival organised by the FdI’s youth branch.
“The fabulous world of Meloni on stage at Atreju is full of propaganda gimmicks that tell us the country is on a roll,” Schlein said, rejecting the government’s optimistic portrayal of Italy’s current situation.
The exchange highlights the difficulties Italy’s opposition faces in creating a cohesive strategy against Meloni’s strong governing coalition. While Schlein calls for collaboration, lingering tensions and differing priorities between the PD and M5S continue to undermine unity.
In recent regional elections, centre-left coalitions won control over Umbria and Emilia-Romagna.
