Dear Director, a ghost is wandering around the halls of power. At Chigi they call him “Count Max”. Perhaps because of his resemblance to the protagonist of the famous film in his attention to clothes – artfully sewn by Paolo di Fabio, his favorite tailor who he also shares with Lollobrigida, Tremonti and Maione (President of MPS) – including the white clutch bag, or perhaps that admiration for the powers that be. Surely for his transformative abilities. But, as in the film, Giuseppe Conte is now at a crossroads in his curriculum vitae: either he revolutionizes everything or leaves things as they are, condemning the 5 Star Movement to an inexorable disappearance. His parliamentary group has understood this and is now asking for a leap forward, even the base wants innovation, as does the new ruling class. «Giuseppi» knows well that the toughest battle will be with Grillo & co., but he also knows that the comedian from Genoa does not want to lose the loot of 300,000 euros a year and that his is no longer «the Word» and, once more, that there are no longer any diehards tied to the concept «neither right nor left». From his side Beppe Grillo, who remained an icon of the disappointed 5S, to take back the Movement is ready to «amnesty» the forty expelled grillini, guilty of having denied confidence in Mario Draghi at the time. But the “chameleon-like” Peppiniello has nine lives like a cat and, despite the electoral defeat in the European elections, he managed to place the M5S in the far-left Eurogroup “The Left” – the same as Sinistra Italiana with Ilaria Salis and Carola Rackete – which guarantees him funding, structure and visibility, albeit with the sword of Damocles hanging over his head for six months, to better evaluate whether there is a real political convergence. In fact, bringing into the house someone who made his debut in Europe with Nigel Farage, father of Brexit, then with the liberals, socialists, greens and red-browns, is not a good calling card for the European left. However, the former people’s lawyer sometimes understands how to be in the field.
Proof of this is the victory of Alessandra Todde in Sardinia which, thanks to political work and effective communication, allows her to sit at the tables that count (see differentiated autonomy, in which Sardinia is the leader of the progressive regions once morest Calderoli); furthermore, she is reuniting the groups, trying to speed up the structure in the territories by focusing on young members; she even wants to mend fences with her Rocco Casalino, giving him back all the communication until the next political elections, in which he will be a candidate. Conte, antagonist of the PD on the left, however, is skidding in his Region, in Bari, attacking De Caro and Emiliano, with disastrous results that have spread throughout Italy. The intent was to compete for the leadership of the opposition. And instead he got 15 points less of difference from the PD. From here a deep reflection on the defeat would be obligatory. But for now Conte has more procedures and etiquette in mind. In the party’s Statute, which he wrote himself, he forbids profanity. With him, the movement born from the “vaffa day” is trying to get back into the palace through the main door. He necessarily discusses the abolition of the ban on double mandates to elect loyalists. He thinks regarding alliances in the Regions, from North to South, as in Campania, where the 5S Roberto Fico dreams. The first congress is scheduled for September where they will try to understand what is left of the Movement. Among the issues on the table, as mentioned, is the third mandate. The solution will be circular: those who have served two terms in Parliament will not be able to run for the third time, but will be able to present themselves for municipal, regional and European elections. Another issue to be resolved: the new vice presidents. There is discontent: apart from Paola Taverna, Conte would like to change them all. Some are talking regarding Michele Santoro’s entry, many are instead thinking regarding women: Chiara Appendino, among the best, but crippled by the judges, Taverna busy managing the territories, and then the already glorified Todde, nicknamed Conte’s talisman. Another strong woman is the former “fairy” Virginia Raggi, who is working behind the scenes to bring the M5S back to its ancient origins, with the support of Toninelli and a few others.
And the Democratic Party? They know that if Conte loses the duel, the M5S will return to being that closed container with which it is impossible to dialogue and therefore they have understood that attacking it is not worthwhile. So they watch and cross their fingers, aware that without the M5S there is no governing. The Hamlet-like Conte, better sooner rather than later, will have to make up his mind. Also to avoid falling back into the modus operandi of when he was prime minister: his uncertainties in managing the most delicate dossiers were proverbial. Incapable of punishing Autostrade, he laid the foundations to fill the Benettons with money; on Ilva, in a famous meeting with the Mittal family, he seemed like their lawyer, rather than that of the Italians; on the receivership of the Popolare di Bari only a furious Franceschini unblocked an undecided prime minister held hostage by the Bank of Italy. Then the pandemic, the machine-gun DPCMs, the full powers, the madness of Facebook live broadcasts to communicate the shares of freedom taken away from citizens, the delusions of omnipotence. This is the parable. Conte, who “had never voted for the Five Star Movement”, now wants to transform it – Grillo permitting – into something he would vote for. Aware that no one, for now, will question his leadership, in the next regional elections in Umbria he risks ending up behind Fratoianni. The lifeboat he is building to ferry some faithful parliamentarians to the next legislature needs reinforcements, otherwise it will sink. The result will be that the system of the Oak (PdS) and its bushes will be recreated. Or, better, it will be more reminiscent of Prodi’s Donkey (2014) and at most he will be able to aspire to a ministry, without portfolio. It would be a miracle, but Padre Pio, his favorite Saint, is generous.
#disappears #Time
2024-07-16 10:11:40
