DiEM25's stance in the European elections in Italy - Vote by DiEM25 members

Over the past months DiEM25’s Italian Electoral Wing has worked tirelessly to find the best way to bring the EUROPEAN SPRING’s Green New Deal for Europe to ballot boxes in Italy for the European Parliament elections. 

Italy has the most restrictive electoral law of any European country for EU elections - new parties, that are not in an alliance with a party that has a waiver due to association with one of the established parties in the European Parliament, must source over 150,000 signatures, divided between 20 regions. No movement has come close to reaching this target.

Our Electoral Wing has tried to construct a workable coalition (that includes a party with a waiver, so that we do not have to gather the 150,000 signature) that would provide Unity and Coherence while adhering to our Green New Deal and supporting our candidates (spitzenkandidaten) for the Presidency of the European Commission and of the European Parliament.

Two groups of parties endorsed, in theory, our Green New Deal and approached us to join their coalition. These are:

• Italy’s Green Party [The Green Party owns the all-important waiver, as a result of their belonging to the European Greens]

• Parties adhering to the Party of the European Left (that includes Syriza, Die Linke etc.) such as Rifondazione, Sinistra Italiana and Altra Europa. [From this group of parties it is Rifondazione that owns the waiver, courtesy of its membership of the Party of the European Left.]

In a country mired in resurgent fascism, with a high electoral threshold and with a fragmented progressive field divided between 6 small parties, we tried to bring together these two groups starting from their common support of our Green New Deal. Despite programmatic overlap and weeks of negotiations, the attempt has failed due the Italian Greens vetoing an alliance with the Italian Left. 

We asked both groups to propose to us terms for an alliance so that we could submit their terms and proposals to you, DIEM25’s members. We have received an offer from the group around the Italian left. It is now up to you to consider that offer and accept or reject it.

• Should we continue to build up the movement (DiEM25-Primavera Europea) in Italy, by organizing and running in local and regional election while staying out of the European Parliament elections in view of the incoherence of the coalition proposed by Rifondazione, Sinistra Italiana and Altra Europa? OR

• Should we join forces with Rifondazione, Sinistra Italiana and Altra Europa and field candidates in a common list with these parties for the European Parliament elections?

This is our collective dilemma. The choice is yours/ours.

May we choose wisely!

OPTION 1: Contest the European Parliament elections in Italy in coalition with Rifondazione, Sinistra Italiana and Altra Europa

ADVANTAGES:

• The name ‘European Spring’ and the swallows of the European Spring logo would be included in the electoral symbol (along with the logo of the Party of the European Left and GUE)

• The coalition supports the Green New Deal in name (though not necessarily in substance, as Rifondazione and Altra Europa will also support the program of the Party of the European Left)

• DiEM25 members are participating in local elections in alliance with parties belonging to this coalition 

• If Italian DiEMers were to be elected, they could choose to join a European parliament family without any restriction (i.e. the EUROPEAN SPRING – DiEM25): it’s not compulsory to join the GUE/Party of the European Left grouping.

DISADVANTAGES:

• This common party list will NOT unambiguously support the DiEM25-European Spring candidates (spitzenkandidaten) for the Presidency of the European Commission and Parliament. (Rifondazione and Altra Europa will support opponents of our DiEM25-European Spring)

• This common party list will NOT unambiguously campaign for the DiEM25-European Spring NEW DEAL for EUROPE (Rifondazione and Altra Europa are committed to the incoherent and problematic program of the Party of the European Left)

• This common party list may not include important comrades, like Elly Schlein or municipalist platforms (or, of course, the Greens), as coalition talks aren't finished yet.

• The party list’s symbol will combine the EUROPEAN SPRING logo and the logos of the European Left and the GUE group in the European Parliament (which guarantee the waiver from collecting 150,000 signatures)

OPTION 2: Stay out of the European Parliament elections in Italy and, instead, continue to build up the movement, run in regional and local elections, and prepare for the future

ADVANTAGES

• DiEM25 Italia will stay true to DiEM25’s original intention of not participating in incoherent, old-school, opportunistic Frankenstein-like coalitions that do not survive long after elections

• Our movement will continue to grow on a foundation of principled, new-style, progressive politics [DiEM25 already exists as a force across the country: a member of DiEM25 in Sardinia was recently elected to the Regional Parliament; a member of DiEM25 in Basilicata was the candidate for the governorship of that Region; and more!]

• During the European Parliament elections we can remain the ADULTS IN THE ROOM, campaigning for a genuine, programmatic convergence of all progressives (including not just the Left but also the Greens, the Mayors etc.) and, in the meantime, supporting all of them in a mature and calm manner.

DISADVANTAGES

• Many of our members are already working together with elements of Rifondazione, Sinistra Italiana and Altra Europa – not running with them in the European Parliament election may weaken these local alliances.

• We will lose an opportunity to get one or more DiEM25 Italia members into European Parliament in May 2019.

What should we do?