CGIL Rally in Rome: Landini Announces November 20 General Strike

Italy's largest union CGIL held a major rally in Rome on Saturday, with leader Maurizio Landini announcing a general strike for November 20th and opposition leaders uniting to challenge Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government. The demonstration, called "La Via Maestra," drew leaders from the progressive camp including Elly Schlein of the Democratic Party and Giuseppe Conte of the Five Star Movement, who embraced on stage. Landini criticized the government's budget, calling it "pretty disgusting," and condemned increased military spending of 14 billion euros, proposing instead a wealth tax that could raise 25 billion euros for public services. Opposition leaders used the platform to attack Meloni's record, with Conte saying the government should "go home" and Schlein calling for healthcare spending to reach 7% of GDP. The rally also featured support for the Constitution, opposition to rearmament, and demands for higher wages, better public services, and action on the cost-of-living crisis.