Conte's 'Woke' Critique Jolts Italy's Center-Left Ahead of Primaries

Giuseppe Conte's recent critique of "woke culture" has stirred unease within Italy's center-left coalition, casting a shadow over the upcoming primaries for leadership. Conte, the leader of the Five Star Movement (M5S), has called for a move away from what he perceives as excessive focus on certain social issues, a stance that has prompted a strategic, albeit indirect, response from the Democratic Party (PD) leader, Elly Schlein.

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Social rights must always precede or accompany civil rights: on this, I share Conte's view.

Schlein, while not directly addressing Conte's "anti-woke" remarks, has instead shifted the focus to core social and economic issues. In an interview, she emphasized the PD's commitment to industrial growth, investment, and tackling energy costs, signaling a desire to steer the coalition's agenda toward more pragmatic concerns. This approach aims to maintain unity within the broad coalition, known as the "campo largo," while navigating Conte's repositioning ahead of the primaries.

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The dignity of people is not divided into categories.

The divergence in emphasis has led to varied reactions within the center-left. Stefano Bonaccini, president of the PD, expressed agreement with Conte on the priority of social rights, suggesting they should often precede or accompany civil rights. However, others, like Raffaella Paita of Italia Viva, have echoed Conte's sentiment, warning against excessive ideology. Conversely, figures such as Alessandro Zan and MEP Ilaria Salis argue that the "woke" concept is often exaggerated by the right to create false divisions, particularly when issues like social justice and basic rights remain unresolved.

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Who asked to cancel national holidays, tear down statues, import cancel culture?

The debate underscores a potential fault line within the coalition as it prepares for the leadership contest. Michele Fina, the PD's treasurer, noted the historical difficulty of coalition primaries in Italy, emphasizing the need for collaboration over competition to avoid internal strife. The differing perspectives on social versus civil rights, and the framing of "woke" culture, suggest that the path to unity and a clear leadership direction will be a delicate balancing act for the center-left.

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In a country without a law on end-of-life, where gay couples cannot adopt and access to assisted reproduction remains limited, the 'either/or' is a mistake.