Photo source: Open Democracy By Naveed Qazi | Editor, Globe Upfront Another woman called Elly Schlein has burst into Italy’s political scene. Leading the Partito Democratico, she is the main centre-left rival to Meloni’s far-right Fratelli d'Italia. Regardless of opposing beliefs, Meloni and Schlein now occupy a similar space in wooing voters.  Schlein’s outsider status, not to mention her political magnetism and drive, have already given her one important win against Italy’s far-right, when she helped defeat Meloni’s ally, Matteo Salvini’s Northern League, in the Emilia-Romagna region in 2020. But emerging victorious in a general election in Italy is a notoriously messy and tribalistic affair. It’s a completely different ball game. Hence to succeed, she needs to revive the PD’s diminishing influence and fend off her political adversaries - as well as retort certain doubts from within her own party. For decades, Italy’s male leaders have been acclaimed due to a remarkably ho...