Silvia Salis: the anti-Meloni?
Plus, modified service
Dear readers. A quick announcement. Over the next two weeks I’m undergoing a minor-yet-invasive medical procedure and have been instructed to limit my working hours. For that reason, I’m dutifully slowing down a few things —including this newsletter — for the next 10 days or so.
However! I do still want to use this week’s shorter instalment to flag-up an interesting story from this week concerning the left-wing mayor of Genoa, Silvia Salis. If you haven’t heard about Salis yet, well, this is the scoop. Last weekend, the Ligurian city’s public administration organized an enormous party in the central Piazza Matteotti. The event was a family friendly daytime “rave” — not dissimilar to the party that took place in London’s Trafalgar Square the other week — and it brought 20,000 out into the streets. Salis, an ex-Olympic Hammer Thrower who won the mayoral race last year on an independent ticket, looked totally at ease as she danced on-stage alongside the Belgian techno DJ Charlotte De Witte, and many took to social media to express their amazement at seeing this politician (yes, a politician!) inhabiting such a relaxed and contemporary public role in the traditionally buttoned-up port city.
Over the past week the above image, and related videos, have gone viral, and Italy’s journalists are having a field day. Some commentators have already dubbed Salis the ‘anti-Meloni’ and on the left some are already calling for her to replace Elly Schlein as PD leader. This is obviously premature. But it says something about the fighting spirit of the Italian opposition right now. With Meloni flailing, dropping in the polls, and increasingly at-odds with her one-time ally Trump, the government is teetering. Activists are rightly asking which candidate could work in a future election to (re)galvanize the huge youth vote that won them the justice referendum, and, at the same time, unify a fragmented factional left-wing base.
Salis is a capable communicator; a key skill, obviously, for a leader. Beyond that, the focus now should shift onto her actual political vision. In English this piece by Nicoletta Ionta for Euractive offers a good overview (though still frustratingly limited in scope). Is Salis the one, then? Of course, it’s too soon to tell. As the summer beckons, however, something is clearly shifting in Italian politics, and the mayor of Genoa looks set to make a move on the national stage.
That’s it for a while. Thanks in advance for your patience and I’ll be back on 30 April with the normal format. A presto.
I’m Jamie Mackay, a UK-born, Italy-based writer, working at the interfaces of journalism, criticism, poetry, fiction, philosophy, travelogue and cultural-history. I set up the Week in Italy a few years ago to cover ‘under the radar’ news. Since then this space has evolved to focus on politics, social issues, travel, books, music and film with particular attention to indie and underground culture that doesn’t get enough press. This is a labour of love, and journalism’s my full time job, so if you like what you read please consider a paid subscription, buying my book, or simply help spread the word. Grazie.