European Championships, Meloni vs Schlein but not only: here are all the ‘big’ running
After months of reservations, the leaders of the major Italian parties will all be there in the end. Almost
ROME – From Giorgia Meloni (known as Giorgia) to Elly Schlein, from Antonio Tajani to Carlo Calenda, from Matteo Renzi to Emma Bonino. After months of reservations, the leaders of the major Italian parties will all be there in the end. Almost. The only ‘big names’ missing from the electoral lists for the European elections on 8 and 9 June will be the leader of the League, Matteo Salvini because “I am minister and secretary , what I’m doing seems more than enough to me”; that of the M5S, Giuseppe Conte, because “we cannot continue to deceive citizens by nominating those who will not be able to go to Strasbourg”; and the duo of Alleanza Verdi Sinistra, Nicola Fratoianni and Angelo Bonelli.
However, there will be no shortage of important names from the national political scene and debate, including new faces and old acquaintances: starting with General Roberto Vannacci, who in recent weeks has almost become the frontman of the Northern League in the race to the European Parliament; the teacher and anti-fascist activist Ilaria Salis, detained for over a year in Budapest in controversial conditions for her alleged participation in the attack of two neo-Nazis; the former undersecretary Vittorio Sgarbi, who three months after his resignation will try to enter Strasbourg with Fratelli d’Italia.
READ ALSO: Salvini: “Me and Vannacci together like Lucifer for the left, I am against all censorship”
But let’s go in order. Even in this European round, Meloni will be the leader of his Fratelli d’Italia party in all five constituencies. Unlike the previous two, this time he will do so as prime minister in office. Asking his voters to write “only Giorgia”, as it will appear on the ballot. In addition to Sgarbi (South), in the ranks of Fdi there will also be, among others, the outgoing MEPs Nicola Procaccini (Centre), Carlo Fidanza (North-West) and Sergio Antonio Berlato (North-East).
In the list of Forza Italia – Noi Moderati, the name of the deputy prime minister and foreign minister Tajani will lead in all the constituencies except that of the Islands, where in the lead will be the former dem Caterina Chinnici, who moved to Filo last year. On the list, among others, the Forzista MP and former mayor of Verona, Flavio Tosi (North-East), the former first citizen of Milan and Minister of Education, Letizia Moratti (North-West), the outgoing MEP Alessandra Mussolini (Centre and South), the former president of the Lazio Region, Renata Polverini (Centre).
For the League, absent Salvini as mentioned, General Vannacci will be a candidate in all constituencies. He will appear as the head of the list in the Center – also ahead of Susanna Ceccardi – and in the South. The other lists will be led by the outgoing MEPs Silvia Sardone (North-West), Paolo Borchia (North-East) and Annalisa Tardino (Islands).
Moving to the center-left, in the Democratic Party, secretary Schlein will be at the top of two lists, Center and Islands. The North-East will be led by Stefano Bonaccini, while the North-West will be entrusted to Cecilia Strada and the South to Lucia Annunziata. Many of the other outgoing MEPs have been reconfirmed, including the head of delegation Brando Benifei (Centre).
READ ALSO: Europee, here are all the candidates of the Democratic Party
In the Five Star Movement, which will not see the name of former Prime Minister Conte on its lists, there will instead be five different list leaders. Two will be outgoing MEPs, Maria Angela Danzì for the North-West and Sabrina Pignedoli for the North-East, while the Central one will be led by the coach and former football player, Carolina Morace, the South one by the former INPS president, Pasquale Tridico and that Islands by Giuseppe Antoci, former president of the Nebrodi Park in Sicily and symbol of the fight against the mafia.
Ilaria Salis, who in the event of election would benefit from parliamentary immunity, will instead lead the North-West list of the Alleanza Verdi Sinistra, while she will be in second place in the Islands constituency, where the list leader will be the former mayor of Palermo, Leoluca Orlando. With Fratoianni and Bonelli not in the field, two other former mayors are attracting attention and curiosity: that of Riace, Mimmo Lucano, present in four constituencies and leader in the South, and that of Rome, the ‘Martian’ Ignazio Marino, present in two constituencies and leaders in the Centre. The North-East list will be led by the agricultural entrepreneur and regional councilor in Veneto, Cristina Guarda.
READ ALSO: Ilaria Salis candidate for the European elections with the Alleanza Verdi Sinistra
Moving on to the former ‘Third Pole’, the center parties will present themselves divided at the European elections. Italia Viva and +Europa together in the United States of Europe, Single Actionlist. As regards the former, the leader of +EU, Emma Bonino will be at the top of the list in the North-West and in second place in the Centre, with the sui generis choice of Renzi who will be in last place, at the bottom of the list, in all the constituencies except the North-East. At the top of the other lists are Graham Robert Watson (North-East), Giandomenico Caiazza (Centre), Enzo Maraio (South) and Rita Bernardini (Islands). For Azione, however, under the symbol ‘We are European’, Calenda will be the leader in all territories except the North-West: here the choice fell on the former Minister for Equal Opportunities, Elena Bonetti.
On the ballot there will also be Pace Terra Dignità by Michele Santoro, who will be the leader in all the constituencies except the North-East, and Libertà by the mayor of Taormina and leader of South Call North, Cateno De Luca, leading in all three constituencies in which the list will be present, namely the North-East, the South and the Islands.
While awaiting the formalization of the exclusions by the Interior Ministry and any appeals (several of those already announced), the list of 18 deposited lists closes with Sovereign and Popular Democracy by Marco Rizzo and Popular Alternativeby Stefano Bandecchi – both encountered problems with collecting signatures – and thenForza Nuova, Animalists with Italexit,The Pirates strong>, Italy of Rights, Rassemblement Valdotain and Pensions & Work-European Awakening.
