ROME. It is the coordinator of the secretariat Marco Meloni who reads the names of the candidates during the meeting of the dem management on the evening of Ferragosto: thus we learn that four young people under 35 will be leaders of the Democratic Party in the next elections. They are Rachele Scarpa, Cristina Cerroni, Raffaele La Regina and Marco Sarracino. This is what is learned from dem sources while the national leadership of the party is underway.
They are the fantastic four, all under the age of 35. The goal of the dem secretary Enrico Letta is clear: “To give space and attention to young people”. They are not yet known to the general public, although they have been engaged for years in their territories.
Rachele Scarpa, 25, the former sardine who dreams of an “inclusive Veneto”
Already a candidate in 2020 as an independent in the Pd list in favor of Arturo Lorenzoni in the regional teams won by the Northern League player Zaia, Rachele Scarpa, 25, originally from Treviso, graduated from the Classic. She is a graduate in Ancient Literature at the University of Padua, she was the provincial and regional coordinator of the Network of Medium Students and gained experience in the field with the Sardine movement. She defends the right to work, fights against gender inequalities and she dreams of «a more inclusive, more supportive, more open and cleaner Veneto region» she wrote on social media.
Cristina Cerroni, 31 years old: the feminist enfant prodige who fights for the environment
Cristina Cerroni was born in Agnone, in the province of Isernia, and will race in Molise. She is 31 years old but already at 15 she approached the left movements before enrolling in the Democratic Party after graduation. Her first election is she at 19 in the City Council of her city, before joining the Young Democrats. Her primacy remains that of the 2019 European Championships when she is elected in the dem lists: she is the youngest candidate in Italy. Her commitment is in the sign of consistency: if we want to give space to young people, then the party must offer “eligible candidates, as happens for the representatives of the youth organizations of progressive parties from all over Europe”. You fight against insecurity, in favor of schools and the protection of the environment. Sensitive to gender issues, you asked the Democratic Party to break the “glass roof that also exists within the party”. There are women, of course, “but not those who guide the decision-making process. We want more feminist profiles and we want to decide, ”she says.
Raffaele La Regina, 29 years old: the nerdy fan who bets on the South
A degree in Political Science and International Relations at the Federico II University of Naples: this is the training of Raffaele La Regina, born in Potenza 29 years ago. In 2016 he discussed a thesis in History of political institutions on the southern question and the figure of Francesco Saverio Nitti. On the political front, he has been secretary of the Pd of Basilicata since December 2021 and has collaborated with the dem Giuseppe Provenzano, minister for the South and Territorial Cohesion in the Conte II government. He is part of the national assembly of the Democratic Party: “a fan of Potenza Calcio, a proud nerd” he writes about himself on social media, while in his curriculum for the Political Schools wanted by Letta, he says “very close to the South and in particular to his land of origin , Basilicata ». Today he is enrolled in the master’s degree course in Public Administration Sciences in Naples. “A social agenda that focuses on the younger generations, work and transition, but also civil issues such as legal euthanasia, cannabis, the Zan bill”, he asked the Democratic Party.
Marco Sarracino, 32 years old: more money to teachers for a competent Italy
Despite his young age, Marco Sarracino has been a member of the national direction of the dem since 2013. Secretary of the Democratic Party of Naples, graduated in Business Administration from the Federico II University, he was secretary of the Young Democrats of Campania. He shares Letta’s commitment to raise the salary for teachers. When the center-left announced the candidacies of Carlo Cottarelli, Ilaria Cucchi and Aboubakar Soumahoro he tweeted enthusiastically: “This is the Italy we want: fairer, more competent, with more rights!”.