Milan Elections: Renzi Revives Primary Vote at Festa dell’Unità

Matteo Renzi returned to Milan’s Festa dell’Unità and used the gathering to revive the idea of primary elections for the center-left mayoral nomination. The Italia Viva leader said he was pleased that journalist Mario Calabresi had stepped forward and made himself available to the coalition.

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Whoever is best should win.

“Whoever is best should win,” Renzi said when asked to name his preferred candidate among the seven hopefuls. He called Calabresi’s possible entry “positive,” because the journalist would bring a different professional background to the race. For Renzi, that is a sign that the center-left remains attractive.

Renzi said he believes in primaries. If the Democratic Party proposes them, he argued, the coalition should embrace them with enthusiasm. He also urged all candidates to support the eventual winner: “When you lose, you stand with the person who wins.”

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When you lose, you stand with the person who wins.

The discussion also turned to Beppe Sala, whom Renzi thanked for having worked very well during his ten years as Milan’s mayor. Asked about the possibility of Sala joining the Democratic Party and later entering Parliament in Rome, Renzi called it “a natural choice.”

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A natural choice.

Across the political divide, League leader Matteo Salvini praised a proposal backed by Forza Italia councillor Alessandro De Chirico to nominate Silvia Sardone against Calabresi. Salvini said Sardone knew the city “street by street, neighborhood by neighborhood” and that he would see her as an excellent candidate.

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An excellent idea, he knows the city street by street, neighborhood by neighborhood, and I would see her as an excellent candidate.