Rai state broadcaster on Thursday
called off a European election debate scheduled for May 23
between Premier Giorgia Meloni, the leader of the ruling
right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) party, and centre-left
opposition Democratic Party (PD) chief Elly Schlein saying only
four of eight parties had responded to calls to debate and
therefore there was not the majority requested by media watchdog
AGCOM.
Both Meloni and Schlein, who have no intention of taking up
their seats in Strasbourg if elected, had been criticised for an
allegedly excessive personalisation of the campaign.
Leftwing populist 5-Star Movement (M5S) leader Giuseppe Conte, a
former premier, was among those who now called for Meloni and
Schlein to debate all the other leaders, with independent
broadcaster La7 having offered to host such a debate.
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