Schlein calls for opposition unity after Liguria loss

(see related) (ANSA) - ROME, OCT 29 - Democratic Party (PD) leader Elly Schlein has reiterated her appeal for Italy's opposition parties to come together, saying centre-left candidate Andrea Orlandi's defeat in Sunday and Monday's regional elections in Liguria showed it was the only way to defeat Premier Giorgia Meloni's ruling centre-right alliance.
    The PD was the individual party that did best in Liguria, winning 28. 4% of the vote, almost twice as much as Meloni's right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) with 15%.
    But the centre-left alliance as a whole came up just short, missing what some commentators described as a 'open goal' after former centre-right Liguria governor Giovanni Toti had to quit due to the corruption scandal.
    The poor showing of the 5-Star Movement (M5S), which won just 4.6% of the vote, half of its showing in June's European elections, played a part in the centre-left's defeat.
    "The PD gave its all," Schlein said.
    "We realize that we are not enough (alone).
    "We are aware of the difficulties of the others and we hope that this result will make all the alternative forces to the Right reflect, as it makes us, who have not spent a minute on rows or competitions with the other opposition parties, reflect too.
    "Because our opponent is the Right that we want to beat'.
    Ex-premier Matteo Renzi said the defeat was down to M5S leader Giuseppe Conte and "those who put vetoes in place lost" after the M5S refused to be in the same alliance as his centrist opposition Italia Viva (IV) party.
    Conte, who is also a former premier, said that "we would have lost worse" with IV in the alliance. (ANSA).