Meloni and Schlein, first direct confrontation in the Chamber at Camera-Corriere.it

Today first direct impact between Giorgia Meloni premier and Elly Schlein dem secretary. At 15, in fact, the Prime Minister answer at question time in the Chamber, for the first time since the head of the government, and in front of her will also find the leader of the Democratic Party. Several issues to the attention of the prime minister and proposed by the oppositions: from the tragedy of Cutro, to the climate crisis, from the non-ratification of the Mes to the ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars throughout Europe starting from 2035. The secretary of the Democratic Party and deputy Schlein will speak on the issue of wages minimum, among the highlights of its program.

This is not an absolute debut in Parliament for Schlein, since there had already been the intervention in the constitutional affairs commission of Montecitorio addressed to Matteo Piantedosi, minister of the Interior, regarding the tragedy of Cutro, asking for his resignation. However, the confrontation in the Chamber with Meloni is unprecedented and takes on particular significance as both are women leaders of the party, as well as of the government at least for Meloni. Schlein, before and after her election as dem secretary, expressed very critical words about the prime minister. Meloni has so far been more cautious and speaking of her rival she said she expected very tough opposition. On the occasion of Women’s Day, March 8, however, she used the same words as Schlein when he took office at the secretariat: Women have an advantage because you don’t see them coming.

Schlein and Meloni come from different personal contexts and political paths. From a more well-to-do family with experiences in the academic world and also in parliament, Schlein; more popular and complicated family, including abandonment by his father, Meloni. The first pro-migrant and environmental defender activist, former leader of Occupay Pd, who said: Yes, I am a woman, I love another woman and I’m not a mother. But that doesn’t make me less of a woman. The second has been involved since she was a girl in the Youth Front, she already ministers with Berlusconi and in 2012 co-founder of FdI. Meloni defined herself as an underdog, one who couldn’t do it, who also said: I’m Giorgia, I am a woman, I am a mother.

On the merits, Schlein today will address Meloni recalling as on November 30, 2022 the current majority has rejected the motion of the Democratic Party aimed at introducing the legal minimum wage in Italy as well; how none of the measures indicated in the motion approved in the same session have been taken, such as the extension of the effectiveness of the comparatively more representative national contracts, the fight against pirated bargaining o ensure decent wages also in tenders called by public administrations; how Italy is the only country in the OECD area in which, from 1990 to 2020, the average annual salary decreased (-2.9 percent) despite the increase in productivity. Schlein will begin by saying to the premier: There are many workers in Italy who can be counted among the so-called “poor workers”, in contrast with the principle enshrined in article 36 of our Constitution.