How a techno party locked in Meloni’s next challenger

Silvia Salis is rapidly emerging as a potential unifying figure for Italy’s fragmented opposition, just as Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s populist leader, shows signs of political vulnerability.

Dubbed the “anti-Meloni”, her rise comes as the prime minister reels from her first real political setback: a failed high-stakes justice referendum, followed by resignations and scandals that have dented her authority at home and abroad.

Salis, born in 1985 in Genoa, first built her career in sport as a hammer thrower, competing at the Olympic Games and representing Italy at top international competitions. After retiring from athletics, she moved into sports administration and later politics.

In 2024, Salis was elected mayor of Genoa, ending years of centre-right rule and instantly becoming one of the most closely watched new figures in Italian politics.

With elections due in 2027, and speculation swirling that Meloni could call an early vote to reset the narrative, the race is already cracking open.

The vibe peaked on Saturday as 20,000 people flooded Genoa’s main square for a set by Belgian techno star Charlotte de Witte – a viral moment that supercharged Salis’ profile. Her colourful sunglasses and dance moves backstage quickly turned into meme fodder, spreading fast across social media.

“This invitation is clearly a statement of intent from a young mayor,” Albi Scotti, DJ and head of content at DJ MAG Italia, told Euractiv.

“It’s an event that signals renewal. Techno – and Charlotte de Witte – speaks to everyone, not just the young. The turnout shows that. There’s a clear effort to reach a broader electorate. Plenty try this, but not everyone pulls it off like this.”

A techno party

In 2022, in one of her first moves as prime minister, Giorgia Meloni introduced Italy’s so-called “anti-rave decree,” a controversial law aimed at cracking down on unauthorised gatherings.

Critics argued the decree’s broad wording risked criminalising not just illegal raves but also spontaneous cultural events, raising concerns over civil liberties and freedom of assembly.

As Alessio Kolioulis, Assistant Professor in Urban Economic Development at University College London, told Euractiv that Meloni’s anti-rave stance is emblematic of her broader political approach, casting nightlife as a problem rather than a cultural asset, despite Italy’s deep-rooted history in music and collective cultural expression.

By contrast, Silvia Salis has taken a different path. “Salis demonstrated how public administrations have a crucial role in offering free events for all audiences. This is literally the definition of inclusive cultural programming,” Kolioulis noted. “It was especially welcome at a time of cost of living crisis, when many people simply don’t have money to spend going out.”

Mayor for less than a year, Salis is already being courted as a unity candidate by opposition forces spanning the Democratic Party, Five Star Movement, Green and Left Alliance, and even centrists like former prime minister Matteo Renzi and Carlo Calenda.

In a recent Bloomberg interview, Salis signalled she would be ready for the national stage. “I can’t escape the attention,” she said, adding she’d skip primaries, but wouldn’t rule out running if there were a unified call.

“I can’t say I wouldn’t even consider it, that’d be lying.”

Hammering problems

As the election looms, centre-left Democratic Party finds itself increasingly paralysed in its search for a leading candidate to take on Giorgia Meloni.

PD leader Elly Schlein has tightened her grip on the party, pushing a hard-left line that has sidelined centrists, who so far have been unable to mount any serious challenge to her authority.

But Schlein cannot run alone. PD is currently engaged in delicate negotiations with the Five Star Movement party, the other major opposition force, in an effort to build a coalition broad enough to challenge the current prime minister dominance.

One of the key sticking points is who would lead such an alliance. The question could ultimately be settled through internal primaries, that would see Schlein running against former prime minister and leader of M5S Giuseppe Conte.

Speculation is already racing ahead of political reality, and the name of Salis gets floated as a potential third option.

But not so fast, cautioned Lorenzo Castellani, professor at Luiss University in Rome. “Salis is a possibility, but not the most likely one, that is to say, she certainly stands out for his freshness, both politically and personally, but it’s still too early to say whether he’ll be the centre-left’s unified candidate”.