ROME – The mayoral contest in the capital has taken a personally vindictive turn as Massimo D’Alema, former Secretary of the Democratic Left party, has been quoted as saying that he will vote for M5S Rome mayorial candidate Virginia Raggi purely in an effort to unseat Matteo Renzi,the Prime Minister, as head of the Democratic Party and to rebuild the centre-left grouping.

The former president of the Council of Ministers in Italy is quoted in Il Fatto Quotidiano as saying, “I am forced to vote for the enemy in order to unseat Renzi”, clarifying his support for Virginia Raggi in the Rome mayoral elections, the second round of which is to take place on Sunday. These words of the ex-leader of the Communist party, which was the predecessor of Renzi’s current Democratic Party, reveals deep instability within centre-left politics.

D’Alema is also working for the “No to reform” committee which is against modifications being made to the Italian constitution. Modifications which propose to make a move to a bicameral parliament with the addition of another parliamentary chamber, something that the “No” committee believe would only create a more confusing system of government that would considerably lengthen legislative procedures and give rise to unnecessary conflict between the two chambers.

In addition to his support and active involvement of this counter group, Massimo D’Alema is also a key player in the campaign to revive the left-wing reformist group, looking to the Governor Michele Emiliano “as a credible replacement for Renzi”.

However, the claims made by Repubblica in this behind-the-scenes report are alleged to be of dubious reliability; Daniela Reggiani, official spokesperson for D’Alema, has denied the accuracy of these “Falsities that are the creation of the reporter’s imagination and of the wishes of those for whom he represents”. Matteo Orfini, the president of the Democratic Party, has added his wish that D’Alema personally “refutes these allegations as soon as possible and comes to lend a hand to the party and necessary support of Roberto Giachetti in the last days of the mayoral campaign”.

This string of seemingly personal attacks and allegations emanating from Massimo D’Alema have been interpreted as a vindictive and somewhat churlish backlash against Renzi in the position of his successor. In an interview with Radio Capital, the Democratic Party’s vice secretary, Debora Serracchiani said that these are allegations of a very personal nature and that “it serves nothing to chip-away at individuals.”

These instabilities and differences in opinion within the party structure do not appear to be unique to the Democratic Party however. Virginia Raggi, the 5SM mayoral candidate for Rome, has publically given her support of the continuity Italy within the single currency of the Euro. This differs from the opinion of the leader of the party, Beppe Grillo, who has this week, allied with Nigel Farage, leader of UKIP, to dismantle the EU, showing the nuances on major issues that equally exist within the 5SM and point to potential heterodoxy within the party.

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