The centre-left silences feminists: when the man is ‘one of us’, all is forgiven
Romano Prodi and the hair pull: the left desperately clings to excuses
The recent incident involving Romano Prodi, former Prime Minister and long-time figurehead of Italy’s centre-left, has ignited a storm of controversy—less for the gesture itself, and more for what it revealed: the glaring double standard of a political camp that lectures others on ethics, but shields its own at the first sign of trouble.
The facts are as embarrassing as they are straightforward. During a public event in Rome, Prodi was asked by journalist Lavinia Orefici about a controversial passage from the Manifesto of Ventotene. Clearly irritated, Prodi snapped, raised his voice and—most notably—grabbed a lock of the journalist’s hair and pulled it. Twice. He later downplayed the act, calling it a “grandfatherly gesture.” But once the video emerged—undeniable and in full view—he was forced to apologise.
It’s at this point that the story morphs from personal misstep to political scandal. The Democratic Party, traditionally vocal against sexist or paternalistic behaviour, was struck by sudden mutism. Party leader Elly Schlein waited days before commenting, and even then said nothing of substance. Some minor voices within the party muttered vague rebukes, but no one dared to call out Prodi with the same fury they routinely reserve for conservative figures.
Prodi’s gesture and Schlein’s silence: when morals depend on party loyalty
And here lies the rub. Had this gesture come from a right-wing politician, the centre-left would’ve responded with a coordinated moral offensive: protests, media campaigns, parliamentary motions. Instead, with one of their own under fire, we witnessed a pitiful display of evasion, relativism and minimisation. The message is clear: bad behaviour is only unacceptable when it comes from the other side.
What’s worse is the eerie silence from the feminist networks usually quick to react. “Non una di meno,” a prominent Italian feminist collective, declined to comment. The Casa delle Donne, another high-profile women’s rights group, brushed off the episode as “not discussed.” No statements, no condemnations, no demands. And on social media—normally ablaze with righteous fury—the incident was met with spin and soft-pedalling. It appears patriarchy, too, gets a hall pass when wearing red.
The case also highlights tensions within the Democratic Party. Prodi has been critical of Schlein’s leadership and her progressive shift, calling for a more centrist, moderate stance. The fact that the video was leaked days after the incident, aired on a left-leaning talk show, and coincided with internal party friction, suggests that this wasn’t just a spontaneous scandal. It smelled of internal sabotage, a symbolic blow from one faction to another.
Romano Prodi and the silence of the centre-left: hypocrisy exposed by a video
But beyond the political chessboard, this incident lays bare a cultural failure. The centre-left has built its identity on moral authority, claiming to fight for justice, equality and respect. When it fails to uphold these values internally, its credibility crumbles. Hypocrisy, not ideology, becomes the real enemy.
This isn’t about a moment of anger or an ill-advised gesture. It’s about the moral compass of a political culture that claims to know better, but doesn’t act better. If ethics only apply to your opponents, they’re not principles—they’re weapons. And when you bend them for convenience, they break for everyone.