Politician with roots in Ticino wants to become party leader

She represents a possible awakening of the ailing Italian Social Democratic Party: Elly Schlein, 37, daughter of an Italian and an American. Her paternal grandfather was of Jewish descent and once immigrated to the US from what is now Ukraine. Upon entry, the US authorities made “Herschel Schleyen” “Harry Schlein”, as they say.

Her maternal grandfather was a lawyer from Siena and a “convinced anti-fascist,” Schlein writes on her website. The 37-year-old holds Italian, US and Swiss passports. Elly Schlein was born in Lugano.

It has long been clear that the Italian Social Democrats will make a sort of choice of direction this Sunday. On the one hand, there is Elly Schlein, a candidate who is considered progressive, ecological and feminist. Schlein is open about her bisexuality, fights for a new form of leadership and advocates solidarity with fellow grantees.

With this, Schlein has positioned itself in no time as a counter-program for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. She recently told Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen SRF that she learned what equal opportunities mean in Switzerland.

On the other hand, the real favorite for the election is Stefano Bonaccini. As president of the Emilia Romagna region, he knows his opponent very well, as Schlein was his vice president from 2020 to 2022. Bonaccini is considered pragmatic and less left-wing, although the 1967-born man began his career in the Communist Party.

In the vote of registered party members, Bonaccini defeated Schlein by 53 to 35 percent, but in today’s ballot box not only party members vote, but also sympathizers. This point could speak for Elly Schlein, because the 37-year-old is extremely popular in the base. (SDA)

Source: Blick