breakdown throughout Italy –

Edoardo Romagnoli

06 April 2024

The wide field born in Sardinia and then grown, not with little difficulty, in Abruzzo and Basilicata is already dead. The move to Bari was fatal. It was the leader of the 5 Star Movement Giuseppe Conte who broke the bank by deciding to withdraw Michele Laforgia from the primaries, scheduled for 7 April, which saw him competing with the dem Vito Leccese to choose the name of the mayoral candidate for the Bari local elections. «For the M5S there are no conditions to peacefully carry out the primaries» Conte underlined. The topic is the last chapter of the Bari investigation which led to the resignation of the regional councilor Anita Maurodinoia of the Democratic Party, nicknamed “Lady preferences” for her ability to collect large quantities of votes. The words of the five-star leader were not liked in the dem house: «An incomprehensible choice» and the M5S «don’t think of giving morality lessons to anyone». So if Conte “thinks he can win alone, go ahead”. Schlein, from the stage in Bari, declared: «Unlike others, I keep my word. I am sorry for this unilateral choice by Conte”, made “without seeking a solution together. This is how you help the right.” Among the two litigants, Matteo Renzi is the one who has a hand in it and takes it out on Conte for hampering the Emiliano council. «Giuseppe Conte is a hypocrite, like all political jackals» because «he uses the Bari investigation to escape from the primaries and attack the Democratic Party, which continues to harm itself by hanging on the lips of this turncoat». At this point comes the proposal «if Conte wants to be truly credible, let Emiliano leave the council». Renzi is referring to Rosa Barone, councilor for Welfare, and Grazia Di Bari, councilor delegated for cultural policies, in M5S quota.

Conte responded directly to the words of the leader of Italia Viva: «Can I respond to Renzi who takes money from a foreign state? Politics cannot become a joke or a joke.” A vague answer that Renzi does not miss. «To my request to clarify when the councilor of the 5 Star Movement will resign from the council led by Michele Emiliano, the Honorable Giuseppe Conte responded by talking regarding Saudi Arabia. I understand that the tongue beats where the tooth hurts, but since Bari is not part of the Ryad region I renew the request: how does Conte withdraw from the Bari primaries but remain steadfast in Michele Emiliano’s council?

Now three scenarios are emerging on the horizon: the rift will be mended, the rift will not be mended and everyone will run on their own, the municipality will be placed under commissionership and the elections will be postponed. This is as far as Bari is concerned, but it is not excluded that the crisis might lead Schlein and Conte to review the alliances throughout the national territory starting from Piedmont where the balance has not yet been found. If on the one hand Conte’s move weakens both the Movement and the Democratic Party (which is in fact trying to mend the rift), on the other it allows the Grillini to distinguish themselves from the Dems. A non-trivial operation given that the association with Elly Schlein’s Democratic Party risked confusing the demands of one with those of the other, almost as if they were a single party. But now Conte can play the cards of the “purest” of the pure. As if to say: they are the ones who have problems with the law, not us. And I certainly cannot be asked to “share” this burden which might inevitably lead to some contraindications at the polls. A reasoning also shared by the dem deputy Andrea Orlando «Conte’s is a somewhat cunning attempt to speculate on the difficulties of an ally. I don’t see anything surprising regarding it, it’s part of the game. But today you take away a few points from the Democratic Party, tomorrow you are the one who handed over Bari to the right.”