Elly Schlein outlines Italian center-left strategy and urges compromise with M5S on Ukraine

Coalition roadmap and leadership terms

Democratic Party (PD) leader Elly Schlein outlined the strategy for Italy's center-left opposition during back-to-back appearances in Parma and Bologna on 20 September 2026. Speaking at the Open Festival in Parma, Schlein stated that the alliance, which includes the Five Star Movement (M5S) and the Greens and Left Alliance (AVS), must establish a joint policy platform before deciding on a prime ministerial candidate. She rejected early disputes over leadership, proposing that the coalition either endorse the leader of the party that receives the most votes or determine the nominee through open primary elections. Her remarks coincided with the conclusion of the M5S programmatic process, known as Nova, which detailed the party's core policy positions.

First the program, that is what our people ask of us because they want to understand what project they are co-protagonists in, then the names, then the leadership.

Schlein noted that progressive parties already share policy priorities, including the introduction of a statutory minimum wage and equal parental leave. She also called on Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to clarify the timeline for the next general election, alleging that divisions within the governing right-wing coalition have delayed the announcement. Schlein pledged that opposition forces would not repeat the divisions that led to their defeat in the 2022 elections, and reaffirmed that the PD would oppose proposed electoral law changes that introduce disproportionate majority bonuses or place prime ministerial candidates directly on ballots.

Foreign policy divisions on Ukraine

Foreign policy remains the central divergence between the Democratic Party and Giuseppe Conte's Five Star Movement. While addressing the Open Festival, Schlein acknowledged persistent disagreements regarding military aid to Ukraine, particularly on a day when Russian missile strikes killed four civilians. Schlein reiterated the PD's commitment to supporting Ukraine until a just peace is secured, while Conte's M5S has opposed continuing arms shipments. Despite the friction, Schlein expressed confidence that the opposition parties would negotiate a common compromise to avoid fracturing the alliance ahead of upcoming elections.

Until there is a just peace, it is right to support a country enduring an invasion. On this we will discuss and find a compromise.

Schlein also criticized the broader diplomatic handling of the war, questioning why peace talks have involved representatives sent by former US President Donald Trump rather than European Union leaders. She called for the European Union to establish a single negotiating voice and abandon unanimity voting rules to pursue diplomatic solutions that isolate Russian President Vladimir Putin without forcing Ukraine into surrender.

Domestic policy clashes and school quotas

Later on 20 September, Schlein closed the Festa dell'Unità in Bologna, where she delivered a direct attack on Meloni's governance and domestic agenda. Schlein criticized the government's economic record, pointing to declining industrial production, stagnant wages that remain among the lowest in Europe, elevated energy costs, and record tax pressure. She argued that the executive has failed to address structural economic challenges, leaving working families vulnerable to high living expenses.

Schlein also denounced a recent proposal by Meloni's government to place a quota on the number of foreign students permitted in individual school classrooms. School principals have criticized the measure as unworkable due to an absence of state funding for school infrastructure. Schlein characterized the initiative as a political concession to Roberto Vannacci's rhetoric on remigration, questioning the criteria the government would use to separate students and asserting that every child in Italy retains the right to education.