A long-distance exchange between Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Democratic Party Secretary Elly Schlein.
Meloni spoke from the stage at Atreju, the Brothers of Italy rally in Rome : "This is the place where all ideas have the right to citizenship. This is the place where Nietzsche and Marx join hands. Where the value of people is measured by content. And those who run away demonstrate that they have no content," the Prime Minister said, taking a dig at the Democratic Party leader, who was invited to the Brothers of Italy rally but decided not to attend.
"I want to thank the many opposition leaders who participated—Conte, Bonelli, Renzi, Marattin Calenda, Magi—and I also want to thank Elly Schlein, who, with her Nanni Moretti-esque "I'm more noticeable if I come, or if I stay on the sidelines, or if I don't come at all," got us talked about," Meloni added. And again: "The funny thing is that we brought together the supposedly broad camp, and the one who should unite them is the only one who didn't show up."
Schlein, however, in his speech at the Democratic Party assembly, stated: "There are enormous divisions within the center-right, they continue to fight among themselves through blackmail and cross-vetoes. Faced with this power-obsessed right that has increased austerity and inequality, unity is what the people, not the doctor, are asking for."
"Arianna Meloni," Schlein also said, "revealed the government's priorities for 2026 yesterday: the premiership and electoral reform. Sorry, we thought it would be the most expensive bills in Europe, those who can't make ends meet, the 6 million Italians who can no longer afford healthcare due to excessively long waiting lists. But no, the priorities for the Meloni sisters are electoral reform and a reform that weakens the President of the Republic's powers: hands off the President of the Republic's prerogatives. The government must solve the problems of Italians, not its own."
As for the government's foreign policy positions, attacked the Democratic Party secretary.
