On Tuesday, Democratic Party (PD) leader Elly Schlein renewed her call for Italy’s opposition parties to unite in forming a credible alternative to Premier Giorgia Meloni’s ruling coalition. This appeal followed the PD’s strong performance in the European elections.
The PD secured 24.08% of the vote in the EU elections, an increase from around 19% in the 2022 Italian general election, positioning them second to Meloni’s right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) party, which saw an increase to 28.8% from 26%.
“The Democratic Party is the undeniable cornerstone in building this alternative,” Schlein stated at a meeting with PD lawmakers. “We feel an even greater responsibility after the EU vote, and I urge you all to persistently push for unity. This isn’t about following orders. Differences exist, but they can enhance a shared program for what we can achieve together. I hope the recent results have shown everyone that we can’t afford further divisions and vetoes.”
The performance of other opposition parties in the European elections varied. The Green-Left Alliance (AVS) exceeded expectations with 6.7% of the vote, and both AVS and the PD attracted more voters compared to the last general election.
However, the 5-Star Movement (M5S) garnered only 9.9%, down from over 15% in the 2022 general election. Two centrist opposition groups, the United States of Europe (SUE) list, and former industry minister Carlo Calenda’s Azione, did not meet the 4% threshold required for MEPs. In the 2022 general election, Azione and Renzi’s Italia Viva (IV) party had jointly secured over 7% of the vote as the ‘Third Pole’.
“We are the party that has grown the most since the general election, with an increase of five percentage points,” Schlein noted.
“Alongside AVS, we have gained more votes in absolute terms compared to the general election, while FdI has lost votes. We have halved the gap with FdI from two million votes to one million. We’re making progress.”
