Pd, now Schlein fears the current. The referendum on the Jobs Act does not please the former Renzians –

Edward Romagnoli

August 30, 2024

That path of rapprochement between Elly Schlein and Matteo Renzi that began in July with that embrace at the Cuore match seems to have now reached its destination. The Democratic Party needs a center, not necessarily occupied only by Renzi, Matteo for his part has understood that there was a lot of space at the center but few votes. And so he returned to where it all started. Now, however, a not insignificant dilemma opens up, as often happens in politics when there are crowds: what position will Schlein take on the Cgil referendum against the Jobs Act? From Nazareno they are convinced that the issue will not embarrass the secretary because she has left freedom of conscience on the issue. So much so that a part of the Democratic Party did not participate in the signature collection and will not vote in the referendum. But let’s go in order. Last May 7, the Democratic secretary announced in La Repubblica that she would sign Landini’s referendum. Nothing scandalous considering that she had also put it in the program with which she had presented herself in the primaries a year earlier. But Schlein’s battle against the Renzi-style reform began even further back. On October 25, 2014, he took part in a CGIL demonstration against the Jobs Act. When he was a member of Possibile (Civati’s party), he promoted the collection of signatures for eight referendums, two of which were aimed at canceling the Jobs Act. At the end of July, the secretary of the CGIL, Maurizio Landini, unloaded 1,036 boxes at the Court of Cassation with four million signatures collected for the four referendums that affirm “the dignity of workers, the freedom not to be precarious, the right not to die at work”. If the Court of Cassation gives the green light, the questions will be passed to the Constitutional Court, which will decide on their admissibility. If the process were to conclude positively, the referendum could be held between April 15 and June 15, 2025.

Although the Nazareno is convinced that the referendum appointment will not create any embarrassment, there are two points that are not negligible. The first: does a party like the PD really think it can become a governing party by leaving freedom of conscience aside on a series of issues, which are also quite burning ones? The second: do they really think they can “use” Renzi without a fight? The electoral strategy in Liguria explains well what the idea in the Democratic Party would be. Take that 1-2% that Renzi would bring as a dowry without having to put the Italia Viva logo in the symbol of the coalition. Obviously, at the same time, Italia Viva should leave the government of the mayor of Genoa Marco Bucci. All very nice, we then have to see how much it will cost in political terms.

And in fact the left wing of the PD, Cuperlo first and foremost, does not look favorably on a possible return, even a peripheral one, of Rignano’s Machiavelli. They, unlike Schlein, know well that Renzi is not someone who is content to make an appearance. And again. If in the PD there are already those who are in favor of making an alliance with the former prime minister and those who, at the same time, are against the referendum on the Jobs Act, how can we not take into consideration the possible creation of a current? Renzi, using the referendum itself, could take home 30% of the party without too much effort. It is no coincidence that already when Schlein announced his signature to the CGIL initiative he responded with an appeal to a part of the Dems: «The secretary of the PD signs the referendums to abolish a law wanted and voted by the PD. Finally, things are clear. They are on the side of subsidies, we are on the side of work. Reformist friends: but how can you still stay in the PD?». Now we just have to see how many will adhere to that appeal from back then, which is still valid today more than ever.