A credible alternative to the right-wing parties exists and centre-left groups will prove it in June’s European elections, said Democratic Party (PD) leader Elly Schlein.
At the 2024 Congress of the Party of European Socialists’ (PES) in Rome on Saturday, Elly Schlein told those present there is an alternative to right-wing parties.
“We see a window of change beginning to open in the country, we see that the alternative exists,” said Schlein. Her party teamed with the populist 5-Star Movement (M5S) to win last week’s regional elections in Sardinia. That win ended a long string of victories for Premier Giorgia Meloni’s ruling right/centre-right coalition.
“Change is possible, we have already demonstrated it and together we will demonstrate it in Europe in June.
“It will be a crucial election campaign for the fate of our continent.
“Here the right here has cut welfare and denied the rights of the children of LGBT couples,” Schlein told the congress.
The European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights Nicolas Schmit was also selected as PES’s candidate to be the next Commission President.
“Meloni and (Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Matteo) Salvini brought Putin’s friends to Italy. We, on the other hand, bring the friends of Italy and Europe to Italy.
“We cannot leave internationalism to the nationalists.
“They are always looking for a new enemy: migrants, women, judges, NGOs, gays”.
The 38-year-old, who last year became the first woman to lead the PD, said the victory in Sardinia showed the importance of progressive parties being united.
“You are here (in Rome) to bring us hope, but I hope that we too can do the same with the victory in Sardinia obtained thanks to the unity of all the parties in the coalition, because we did not win alone,” she said.
