«In agreement with the leaders of La7 I make official the proposal for two televised confrontations between the leaders of the lists competing for the European elections on 8 and 9 June. The comparisons will take place on Wednesday 5th and Thursday 6th June at 9.20pm: taking the last publicable SWG survey, that of 23rd May, we will reserve the evening of 6th June for representatives of the major lists. This is our proposal, we await the answers.” The director of Tg La7, Enrico Mentana, wrote it on Instagram.
Stomach aches over the TV duel go beyond the perimeter of the opposition. «You don't run with the majority in the European elections», says Tajani. «The European elections are run on proportional representation, so all forces must participate in the debate. There are no 'A' series forces and 'B' series forces”, comments the minister. In short, if there must be a comparison, for Tajani, it is best that it be a true American-style comparison, «with all the leaders on stage, this way we respect the level playing field and the spirit of the electoral system. In this round of voting there is no centre-right against centre-left, but a different race pattern: not between two sides but between many parties”, he concludes.
A similar argument is that of Action leader Carlo Calenda: «It is always wrong to make two-way electoral comparisons where there is no direct indication from the Prime Minister. But for these European Championships more is happening, a true enormity. Not only is there the proportional system but Meloni and Schlein together do not even make up half of the Italian voters. That face-to-face meeting would be a huge distortion of the level playing field and a scam to the detriment of voters”, underlines the former minister. In combination with the proportional system and the absence of direct indication of the 'premier',
Riccardo Magi adds the accusation to the two leaders of “defrauding voters” given that Meloni and Schlein “are running to not really go to Strasbourg”. In this way, adds the secretary of Più Europa, «they completely distort the representation of this electoral round, transforming it into a poll for the approval of the leaders of two parties and that's it. Mortifying for the public service, for the Italians and probably also for Schlein and Meloni themselves.” Hence Magi's appeal to the two contenders: «Let them avoid this two-way confrontation and favor the debate between all the lists».