External and internal threats. The obstacles in the path of Schlein & co.

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She doesn't answer questions. On the other hand, she often dodges uncomfortable questions that don't please her or could cause her problems within the party and with opposition allies. And so Elly Schlein, when asked (repeatedly) if she really intends to call an early congress at the beginning of 2026, doesn't answer yes or no , but dodges by explaining that now all the attention of the Democratic Party is focused on the referendums and the administrative and regional elections. But in the rooms of the Nazarene, together with the few true loyalists, the strategy has been fine-tuned. Between January and February at the latest, the Democratic Party will hold its congress. After an electoral round that Schlein presumes will be lucky for the Dems . The national assemblies held more quickly than expected are not only intended to certify that the secretary's leadership is untouchable and that the reformists have to accept it because either they fall in line or they stay out. There is another point on the agenda for Schlein and her party. The point that is most important to her because she is able to manage the discontent of the reformists, especially since she has the valid help of the party president Stefano Bonaccini to do so.

The point concerns the next political elections. Schlein is not aiming for the coronation as secretary, which is a given, but for the coronation as candidate for prime minister. Yes, at the congress she wants it to be made clear that her candidacy for secretary is equivalent to a candidacy for the top job at Palazzo Chigi. A candidacy that would therefore be voted on by the people in the primaries in the gazebos. This is the way Schlein has chosen to counter the aims of Giuseppe Conte . The secretary, who is far from being inexperienced, knows well that the leader of the 5 Star Movement, when the time comes, will ask to go to Palazzo Chigi in exchange for signing an alliance capable of countering the right wing of Giorgia Meloni. And Schlein also knows that someone in her party has given it some thought. The Bettinis, but perhaps also the Bersanis would prefer Conte as candidate for prime minister. The primaries that certify her candidacy, in her intentions, would serve precisely to hinder these maneuvers. This is what the Democratic Party Congress is really for. And for this reason, despite Schlein's slippage with the journalists, the sessions will certainly be held.

Meanwhile, there is some turmoil in the Democratic Party, even among the secretary's supporters. The increasingly important role of Marta Bonafoni is worrying and making people jealous. She is the one who accompanies the secretary on almost all of her trips. She was the one who organized a birthday party for her without telling almost any MP . And many were so upset that after the real party they had to organize others (one at the Nazareno and one at the Chamber group) so as not to raise the spirits of the MPs who were already seeing their seats slip away, worried about not having close enough relationships with the secretary. So some people took it out on Bonafoni, not being able to take it out on Schlein who will distribute those seats. But no one went overboard with their complaints because one thing was understood in the Democratic Party: Bonafoni's role is becoming more important day by day and even clashing with her is not appropriate.

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