«But is Ferragni a metalworker?»- Corriere.it

Red is everywhere, red are the banners of the CGIL, the sweatshirts of the Fiom toughs and the cloth of the protest of the stuffed animals against “the cynicism, malice and racism of a fascist government”. Red’s tie Maurizio Landini and also the star on the cap of «Barone Michele, 67 years old», at the Palacongressi to shout his no to Giorgia Meloni: «I am the last communist and she is a caciottara and that’s it».

An hour and a half later, the “caciottara” who became leader of the right and prime minister will leave the arena “satisfied”proud of not having deserted the invitation in person and relieved because, instead of the “buuu”, there were two applausesquick and cold, but certainly historic.

There are just a few minutes to noon on a Friday the 17th, in spite of superstition. The rules of engagement studied by an unprecedented security service provide that the first head of government to participate in the CGIL assembly, after Romano Prodi in 1996, accesses from a late entryral manned by security. And it is there that Maurizio Landini welcomes the tenant of Palazzo Chigi away from Romagna. Time to say hello and the right-wing leader displaces everyone by turning around, because she wants to enter the “lion’s den” through the main entrance where the minority protest is taking place, 24 trade unionists led by Eliana Como with a puppet in his arms in memory of the migrant children shipwrecked in Calabria. Photographers, journalists and TV operators are forced to chase after the premier and the secretary general has to repeat the greeting ritual in front of the cameras: “Hello president, thanks for being here”.

The “hello mate”

The media procession is a hellish crowd, don’t push, you’ll get hurt. We go on with difficulty, until Meloni and Landini enter the semi-darkness of the large room while an African delegate speaks from the stage: «I don’t consider myself a migrant, but an Italian». The ovation is all for him, they snap for her a couple of blocks boos immediately stopped by the many who shout «nooo» and honor Landini’s preventive mantra: «We invited her». Meloni reaches the first row on the right of the stage, greets a journalist with a joking «Hello mate!» and reminds another that «for 27 years a prime minister has not accepted an invitation from the CGIL». He swallows a whole glass of water and, when Landini has finished with the warnings and thanks, he goes to take the stage.

The protest of the cuddly toys

Angry people get up, they leave teddy bears on three rows of benchesmonkeys, puppies, bunnies and peppe pig and walk away with their fists raised, singing Hello beautiful. But the spark doesn’t become fire, the icy silence of the majority works like the jet of a hydrant. Meloni adjusts the microphone, raises his eyebrowsalternates grimaces, smiles, winks and diagonal moves of the head and on “partisan take me away” he grabs the two microphones and leaves, no longer caring about his opponents. She “also” thanks those who contest it and sinks, ridiculing the slogan “think yourself unwelcome” with which the anti-delegates paraphrased the Sanremo writing on the dress of Fedez’s wife: “I didn’t know that Chiara Ferragni was a metalworker». One to zero and microphone in the center: «My presence here has caused discussion, but gentlemen, I have been booed since I was 16, I am a knight of merit». And this will be the only drop of victimhood in 35 minutes of speech without discounts, but peppered with offers of dialogue and “listening without prejudice”.

L’sympathy operation to loosen up an icy audience, he continues with compliments to Landini for “hardening his lungs and vocal cords in two hours of speech, I wouldn’t be able”, then Meloni goes straight to the most divisive dossiers without even smoothing out the edges. Citizenship income will be abolished, the minimum wage is not the solution and the fiscal delegation that has horrified a union of five million workers is a reform to be “proudly claimed”. The first, restrained applause comes when Meloni condemns “the unacceptable attack by far-right exponents on the CGIL” in 2021. The second (and last) when the premier collects the papers and comes off the stage, a few seconds of clapping and a delegate who he shouts his relief: «Mo’ we can all sing Hello beautiful, huh guys? What the hell!” After the due respect and sense of responsibility imposed by Landini, it’s time for indignant faces, annoyance and disappointment. «The secretary was not supposed to let her speak!». «The unification of Italy? And are you coming to tell us?” And Manola, from the Confederal Center: «You tried not to enter a collision course, but you remain too far from our values».

The face to face

The press procession besieges the presidential car, but the wait will last three quarters of an hour, the time of a meeting with Landini in a reserved room. We talk about the war in Ukraine, the minimum wage, representation, Italy-Europe relations and the banking crisis. And the risk of one general strike? Those who were there ensure that no, there wasn’t time to legitimize each other. “She he had so much courage to comebut we too are invitedarla», is the comment of Luana DiTuoro, secretary of Filcams in Campania. Music to Meloni’s ears, who leaves with a bouquet of flowers (white, after so much red), a gift from two MPs from her party: «she went well, I’ve never been afraid of confrontation». Proud you had the courage? «That’s why I accepted», she confided in the afternoon in Bologna, between one Cosmoprof stand and another: «An extraordinary school of life».