Two different ways of apprehending social democracy clash this Sunday in the primaries of the Italian Democratic Party (PD), embodied by its two candidates: the young Elly Schlein, supported by the most left wing; and veteran Stefano Bonaccini, a moderate regional governor.
Both ended up campaigning as opponents to lead Italy’s hegemonic left-wing party, although for the past three years they’ve shared a cabinet as president and vice-president of Emilia’s government. -Romagna, the progressive stronghold of the country.
BONACCINI: SENIORITY AND MODERATION
Bonaccini (56) is one of the formation’s most respected leaders. Coming from a working-class family, he began his political career in the early 1990s, as an adviser to the influential Italian Communist Party and continued in various positions in the formations that replaced the PCI after its dissolution until reaching the PD.
He joined in 2007, the year of its foundation, and managed to become governor of Emilia-Romagna in 2014, from where he sketched a pragmatic and moderate attitude that earned him respect for militancy, especially after having prevented the region from falling in 2020. into the hands of Matteo Salvini’s far-right League.
He is the big favourite, since the PD obtained 52.87% in the vote of the “circles” to select the two finalist candidates.
SCHLEIN: THE CONTESTATIONAL LEFT
With her victory, Schlein (37) would not only become the first woman to lead this formation, but would turn the PD to the left after leaving the party in 2015 because of her disagreements with the line set by the secretary general of the era. , Matteo Renzi, whom he accuses of leading the party towards the centre-right.
From an Italian mother and an American father, Schlein has been a European deputy, regional vice-president and national deputy and promises a new language to mobilize young people. Despite his seemingly good relationship with Bonaccini, in the final days of the campaign he ruled out being his “number two” because, as he defends, “the time for a patriarchal party is over”.
With 34.88% support, he has a very strong push in urban areas such as Milan and Rome.