Two Women Are Now Italy’s Most Powerful Politicians

Elly Schlein celebrating her victory as the new leader of the Partito Democratico. Photo: IMAGOECONOMICA

After winning a primary vote on Feb. 27, Elena Ethel "Elly" Schlein was elected the leader of Partito Democratico (the Democratic Party of Italy), or PD. Her election marks a pivotal change in voter preferences in the Republic. Only a few years ago, Schlien, who is openly lesbian and of Jewish-American heritage on her father’s side, would have never been able to ascend to her position of power within the Democratic Party, which had only elected men before.

 However, since the election of Giorgia Meloni of the far right party Brothers of Italy in 2022, voters on the left see that a young woman like Schlein can better represent those who fear a complete far-right takeover and the targeting of sexual and religious minorities. While polls predicted Stefano Bonaccini, a high-ranking member of the party, would win the primary election, Schlein managed to edge out the veteran in the second round of elections. Initially, Bonaccini had won the first round of elections, where only registered voters within the Democratic Party could participate. However, in the second round, many unregistered voters, ranging from the far-left to the center-left, took to the polls and overwhelmingly voted for Schlein. 

Her election comes at a critical time in Italian politics, as the far-right has just taken control of the parliament. Fearing crackdowns on LGBTQ+ rights and immigration, voters have changed the philosophy of the Democratic Party from a center-left standpoint to a far-left one.

Although Schlein is popular among many young voters who see her as the new generation of politicians, her election has divided some members of her party who see her as too radical. “My PD is no longer there, this is another party — it no longer belongs to the center-left but to the hard left,” says ex-cabinet minister Giuseppe Fiorini, who was among the founding members of the party. 

The division in the party will only strengthen Meloni and the far-right’s hold on power. The Partito Democratico polled about 17 percent of the population, compared to Meloni’s 30 percent. Although there is a wide gap between the hold on power between Meloni and the PD, the leader of the Democratic Party must have the full support of its members to push for a challenge.

 Apart from the lack of support from her own party, Schlein’s upbringing raises some doubts about her credibility. Schlein was born in Lugano, the Italian-speaking area of Switzerland, where she enjoyed a private school education and an overall wealthy lifestyle (her parents are college professors). In contrast, Meloni grew up in Rome’s Garbatella neighborhood, which in the past was a working-class neighborhood. Additionally, Meloni was raised by a single mother, as her father abandoned her at a young age. This upbringing speaks heavily to working-class Italians who see Meloni, and not Schlein, as the politician they can relate to. Furthermore, Schlein’s upbringing makes her promises to the poor seem empty. As stated by commentator Italo Bocchino: “She promised to prioritize the poor, public education, and workers, but unlike Meloni, she has never known the poor in her life.”

Apart from Schlein’s upbringing and the division within her own party, her election will undoubtedly increase the polarization of numerous political topics in Italy. Before Schlein, the PD labeled itself as a center-left party, which at times attracted swing voters from all over the country. In fact, former leader of the party Matteo Renzi was known to implement some center-right policies to increase popularity across the whole of the country. Now, with far-right and far-left leaders in Italy’s two most powerful parties, compromise between issues revolving around economic and social policies seems bleak. 

Italy’s two most powerful female politicians Photo: ANSA