Silvia Salis appears as a candidate who can unite the left in Italy

According to a report published in Politico magazine, Salis recently captured national attention when she hosted a mass techno party in the town square, a move seen as a clear defiance of Maloney’s policies, which cracked down on outdoor parties as soon as she took office. Although she has not yet officially announced a transition to national politics, a recent poll shows that a hypothetical list led by her may garner about 6.5% of the votes.

This figure may catapult the entire left bloc to 45.5%, a touching distance from the right bloc which stands at 46.8%. Instead of competing in internal primaries, Salis aims to be elected as a candidate agreed upon by all the bloc’s parties, similar to the moderate strategy that led to her victory in the local elections in Genoa.

In her role in Genoa, Salis has already demonstrated her commitment to a progressive agenda. Her first step was to approve the registration of children for same-sex couples, a move she promoted in the role of Hashem. She established a municipal office for LGBT rights and promoted a minimum wage in municipal contracts. However, she also makes sure to wink at the political center with an emphasis on pragmatic issues such as security, work and the health care system.

Now it remains to be seen whether her lack of national political experience will stand in her way, or whether her sporting background, determination and ability to unite the ranks, will make her a hammer that will break the hegemony of the Italian right.