Centre-left Democratic Party (PD)
leader Elly Schlein said the centre left's winning only one of
seven provincial capitals in Monday's run-offs and its poor
showing in Sicily had been a a "clear" defeat and showed that
the headwinds that had blown the right to victory in last
September's general election were still strong.
"It's a clear defeat. The win in favour of the rights (sic) is
still strong and is still there. We thank all those who made the
effort, our candidates, in these elections. They knew it would
be difficult, it takes time to build a winning centre left. The
fact that the PD is the top party in the list vote is not a
consolation".
Schlein was addressing a party directorate meeting called after
the local-election results, in which the centre right held on to
three Tuscan cities, won another there, and wrested control of
historic Marche fief Ancona after 30 years, with the PD-led
alliance only winning Vicenza of the seven provincial capitals
up for grabs.
"It is evident that you can't win on your own," she added,
stressing the need to build alliances on the centre left with
the 5-Star Movement or the so-called Third Pole, which at the
moment are mutually exclsuive and with the latter saying Schelin
is too far to the left.
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