European Championships, Michele Santoro fears the flop and denounces Roberto Gualtieri –

Christian Campigli

April 18, 2024

Small, yes, but fierce. Ready for anything, even to resort to legal action in the face of alleged obstacles positioned ad hoc. Terrified by the possible flop on the horizon. The controversy on the left is heating up between the mayor of Rome, the dem Roberto Gualtieri and the journalist Michele Santoro. At the center of the conflict is the collection of signatures, which is essential to be able to run in the next European elections. «I have instructed my lawyer, Lorenzo Borrè, to report the mayor of Rome Roberto Gualtieri to the Public Prosecutor’s Office for failing, despite repeated good-natured requests, to fulfill the obligations required by the electoral law to facilitate the collection of signatures for the presentation of the list Peace Earth Dignity”, he underlines. Then Santoro reveals a background: «I personally spoke with the councilor responsible for the Electoral Office, Andrea Catarci, who told me: “The Municipality is not obliged to do this. The Democratic Party did not feel the need to express itself on the merits of the matter Evidently it is considered a right of constitutional importance, provided for by law, as an annoying practice not to be avoided for unspecified reasons. With regard to votes, there is not only the scandal of Bari, but also that of Rome”. Catarci himself: «The collection and endorsement of signatures is not an obligation of the Municipalities. There is a law, article 14 of law 53 of ’90 which provides for a very large list of subjects who can collect signatures, including. the mayor and his officials are also foreseen but as a possibility and not as an obligation. I say this with regret, but if we had been with more staff, without problems with digital services as we have had in recent months, we would have gladly helped the small lists. I explained all this directly to Santoro but he moved on, perhaps he is looking for a bit of visibility or really believes that there is an obligation ».

Far from light words uttered by the well-known TV face, who is running in a political space, that of the pacifist and anti-system left, which risks nibbling away votes from the Democratic Party. It is no mystery that Elly Schlein’s political line does not fully convince the Dem electorate. Among the parties that are trying to collect signatures to then play their chances at the polls there is also a true communist like Marco Rizzo. Tomorrow the leader of Sovereign and Popular Democracy will be in Florence, on Sunday first he will go to Campobasso, then to Termoli, to seek new consensus. «It’s an unequal fight, but we don’t give up an inch – Rizzo told us, reached by telephone – They have created the conditions to block democracy. A system that not only requires at least 75 thousand signatures, but that they must be collected in every region of Italy. Without forgetting that some are granted television shows, others not even a few minutes. We are the only anti-system. On our website there is the possibility of signing to allow you to have a dissonant voice in a European Parliament which, by now, always plays the same melody”.