Reportage
Schlein celebrated a PD victory in Naples: ‘We’re going to beat the right in 2027’
Schlein: ‘United, we win by a landslide. The game for the general election is eminently winnable and our redemption starts in the South.’
As soon as she saw the exit polls, Elly Schlein rushed to Naples, to the campaign headquarters of Roberto Fico. Quoting the legendary Neapolitan singer Pino Daniele, she declared that “l’aria s’adda cagnà” – the air needs to change. Standing with her on stage were all the leaders of the center-left, from Giuseppe Conte to Nicola Fratoianni and Angelo Bonelli, united for a photo with Fico, who is already looking ahead to the national-level challenge against Giorgia Meloni.
When quoting Pino Daniele’s song, the Democratic Party (PD) leader was not really talking about change in Campania – where the center-left’s victory against Meloni’s candidate went beyond expectations – but first of all about the air at Palazzo Chigi, the seat of the Prime Minister.
After the winning bet in Campania – where, in order to assemble such a broad coalition, she had to bend over backwards and swallow a few bitter pills – her leadership is now firmer, both within the PD and within the coalition. “Meloni and the government lost here. The citizens have rewarded our stubbornly united line. And from tomorrow we will move forward with even more determination,” she said. “United, we win by a landslide. The game for the general election is eminently winnable and our redemption starts in the South,” she added from the stage in Naples, referring also to the large victory in Puglia.
Interviewed by LA7, she went a step further: “We are indeed competitive, to such a degree that we’re going to beat the right in the 2027 general elections.” She emphasized, “Our alliance is not just an alliance against the right, but for the things we want to do, from healthcare to jobs to rights and the fight against inequality.” She admitted that “it is not easy to put differences together. But we’re not starting from scratch, as you can see where we’re governing, and also in our battles in Parliament. From tomorrow we will work to consolidate the common project for Italy, and we will do so not only among political parties but across the country.”
The defeat in Veneto still stung, but not too much. “We doubled our votes compared to 2020,” said the secretary, almost satisfied with the 30% secured by Giovanni Manildo, who surpassed 40% in some large cities such as Padua, Venice and Treviso (where he was previously mayor).
The right, however, has other plans: right away, they announced across all media their intention to change the electoral law in the name of “government stability.” “They are doing it because they know that with the current law they would lose,” accused Schlein. “That seems to me to be the worst starting point for changing the rules of the game.”
“The current law is not the best in the world, but it has shown in practice that whoever wins the elections is able to govern. Giorgia Meloni reminds us of this constantly with the longevity of this government,” echoed Schlein’s right-hand man, Igor Taruffi. “We don’t understand the reason why anyone should change it, if not for petty partisan gain.” Schlein declared herself “very open” to holding coalition primaries under any electoral law: “We will decide together how to choose the leader.” She is also open to widening the coalition further: “We have maximum openness towards all forces that are alternative to the right, but above all towards the Italians who no longer go to the polls.”
The snapshot in Naples serves as a formidable booster for the secretary, even though the victories in Puglia and Campania were both expected. The usually hesitant Conte has softened on the coalition issue and now speaks of a “collective result that gives us hope for the future.” But the size of the victory – and the absolute vote counts in the six regions that have gone to the polls from September to Sunday – shows the PD slightly ahead of FdI. In the PD leader’s inner circle, this is celebrated as confirmation that “this approach is the right one.”
“In the end, the math adds up,” insists Taruffi. “If we put together the votes of the last 10 regional elections, the PD is the leading party and the center-left is ahead of the center-right. These are not polls, these are party list votes in the 10 regions where voting took place between 2024 and 2025.”
These numbers are also a response to the many critics – from the PD’s right wing to Romano Prodi, all the way to the thinking of presidential advisor Francesco Garofani, as gleaned by La Verità – who are questioning the competitiveness of Schlein’s PD in the next general election.
On Sunday, the secretary will take part in the meeting in Montepulciano, bolstered by these results (the Democrats took 26.6% in Puglia, 17% in Veneto and 19% in Campania, surpassing FdI in two out of three regions). The three factions that make up the largest share of the Democratic Party – led by Franceschini, Orlando and Speranza – have convened this meeting to urge a deeper discussion on the PD and how it should present itself for the general elections. Schlein (who didn’t particularly like this initiative) will close the proceedings on Sunday.
The possibility of an early congress at the start of 2026, to boost her as the party leader in the run-up to the general election, has not yet been ruled out. “We’ll see,” said Taruffi. At the PD headquarters, they took note of the words of Antonio Decaro – considered one of the most competitive challengers to Schlein at a possible congress – immediately after his victory in Puglia: “The PD already has a secretary, her name is Elly Schlein. For the next few years I will be the president of the Apulians.” Without Decaro in the race, Schlein could win the congress by a landslide against any other challenger. And, at that point, no one could call into question her candidacy for prime minister.
Originally published at https://ilmanifesto.it/la-festa-di-schlein-possiamo-battere-la-destra-alle-politiche on 2025-11-25