Europe, youth, women, sustainability, education. And above all a new Democratic Party, that brings together "soul and screwdriver" and overcome the currents. Enrico Letta in his keynote speech as the new secretary of the Democratic Party (elected with 860 Yes, 2 No and 4 abstentions) immediately set the record straight: "The Draghi Government is our Government, but the horizon is the aftermath, it is the general election, and I'm not here to lead a defeat." We need a new Pd, not (only) a new secretary, it is another of the central concepts expressed by the former prime minister, who hinted that to win again we need "an enlarged centre-left coalition, the leadership of which is taken over by the Party democratic. Without coalition there is no winning, as the experiences of 1996 and 2006 remind us, both with Romano Prodi at the helm”.
To build this center-left coalition, Letta said that he will dialogue with everyone, from Leu to Italia Viva and also col Movement 5 Stars now led by Giuseppe Conte. There are therefore no preconditions, but Letta underlined the importance of rediscovering an identity: “Identity, Sartre said, is half what we are, half how others see us. The image we give to the outside counts a lot, and in recent years we have given the image of a Tower of Babel”. To rediscover this identity, the priority indicated by the new secretary, who has also launched two weeks of confrontation with the clubs, is the contact with the territory: “It's the new challenge but also the old one, because we've always done it, even if sometimes, as we've been told, we've been the party of the Ztl. We must rediscover social dialogue and be united neighborhood party: our goal is to be alternative to the right and challenge the League on the ground, because we can do it".
Social dialogue means above all young people and women. “We have a problem on gender equality, while on young people I want to say that the Democratic Party must not speak to young people, but it has to get the young people talking”, added Letta in his speech that lasted over an hour, during which he recalled the story of Patrick Zaky and proposed to extend the right to vote to those over 16 years of age. Finally, some considerations about Europe and international scenarios: Letta recalled that this year Italy chairs the G-20 and health will be at the center of the agenda. Support for the Draghi government will continue to be strong and so will the pro-European orientation, even if however the new secretary was keen to add that “we need a new European stability pact. No longer based on financial parameters, but on sustainability. Where sustainability means environment but also social cohesion”.
