Pd Congress, clash over online voting. Boldrini and Zan are in favour. Picerno: “Inapplicable choice”

Online vote yes or online vote no. Supporters and detractors come out, reflecting the two main camps that will contend for leadership of the party: Elly Schlein And Stefano Bonaccini. It was the first to launch the idea of ​​digital voting and it was the second to nip it in the bud. Thus, yet another clash on the rules of the congress is ignited, after the one that took place on the date of the primaries.

Bonaccini and his men are not willing to give in. Those who support the Emilian governor are convinced that Schlein’s idea is “wrong” and, above all, “inapplicable a few weeks after the vote”. Pina Picierno, MEP of the Democratic Party at the forefront of supporting Bonaccini in the race for the secretariat. “A party that doesn’t have local roots, that doesn’t have clubs where militants meet and discuss and doesn’t celebrate unity but that votes online already exists, but it’s not ours”. Picerno’s reference he is in the 5-star Movement, whose “senseless imitation” – according to the dem exponent – would do nothing but jeopardize “a secure vote for the members”. Matthew Orfini, also a supporter of Bonaccini: “I understand that for many now politics and likes on social media are the same thing. Except then discovering when you vote that likes often don’t correspond to votes”. According to the Roman exponent “it is not a question of not taking into account innovation, changes in lifestyles, the digitization of many processes. It is simply a matter of reaffirming an ancient principle: politics is participation ”, otherwise he-concludes-“ we can close the party, the circles and everything else and replace them with a Facebook or Instagram page. But I don’t think it’s a great idea.”

Above all, Schlein would benefit from online voting who, unlike the challenger, would like to exploit his popularity among non-members to surpass the governor in voting in the gazebos, open to all. And in fact, it is above all the supporters of the MEP who take sides in favor of digital participation: da Alexander Zanto Laura Boldrini as far as Marco Furfaro. “The congress of the Democratic Party must not be a tired and ritual act but an event capable of arousing interest and the widest possible participation. A constituent congress must also have the ambition to be innovative. Certainly in the gazebos but also online one must be able to vote in the primaries”, says Boldrini. According to Zan “since 2007, the year of the first primaries of the Democratic Party, to date the world has radically changed and the digital revolution allows unprecedented forms of participation” For this reason – claims the senator – the Democratic Party “has the duty to put in place all the options to encourage as much participation as possible in the primary elections, also allowing online voting”. Both Zan and Boldrin cite the examples of Rome, Bologna and Turin, cities where ‘remote’ voting has already been tested “to choose mayoral candidates”. Furfaro shares the same opinion: “I’d be surprised if someone wanted to limit people’s access to politics. We are in 2023, the millions of signatures for the latest referendums, collected at banquets but also with Spid, show that there is a great desire to participate in public life “.