Italia Viva, Renzi’s Ayatollahs attack Marattin –

Aldo Torchiaro

August 3, 2024

The suitcases are packed, but not for vacation. Among the parliamentarians of Italia Viva, but also among the local elected officials and provincial leaders, there is a sense of relocation. Three names are being mentioned in the Renzian party, ready to lower the lifeboat. The most likely one is Naike Gruppioni, a former member of Azione who moved to Renzi’s party ten months ago and is already ready to move to new shores. She is not the only one. Behind the scenes of Antonio Tajani’s proverbial reserve, Forza Italia is tightening contacts and agreements with those who want to leave the uncertain shores of Renzi’s party for a more solid position. And it is not just IV that is losing pieces: Carlo Calenda’s Azione is also seeing more than one member questioning their future. The “great unitary convention” announced by Calenda’s supporters for the autumn is currently confirmed. Elena Bonetti, a former Renzian who has moved to the other leg of the Third Pole, is reassuring. But one detail is missing: which other pieces of the center should join Azione. The young people of Nos, who brought over thirty thousand preferences to Action, have already abandoned ship. But not politics. Alessandro Tommasi, child prodigy of the Calendian area, looks around.

And so do the young Renzians of the political school “Meritare l’Europa”: graduated last year from the summer course of IV, a hundred of them – led by Emanuele Cristelli, 29 years old – have written down in black and white their distrust of the leader. Renzi is trying to ignore them for the moment. Just as he is not answering for the 300 leaders who have signed another document that calls for an immediate congress.

In the chats, blind brawls fly. Everyone against everyone. The Facebook message boards become a ring where managers insult each other: “You don’t represent anyone.” “Instead, I’m the provincial secretary.” And ready, the reply: “Did you ask all the members of your province if you can sign against Renzi?”. The air is the mephitic one of the last few days in the Berlin bunker. Every man for himself. Those who will save themselves, say PD sources, will be very few Renzian parliamentarians. Three names are being talked about, one of which is Renzi himself. A woman. A lawyer. A hubbub of rumors, in the August chaos of Iv. The one who pays the price is Luigi Marattin, targeted by hordes of out-of-control haters. Each of his posts on social media is followed by a torrent of insults: the style recalls that of the early Grillini. The vocabulary too. For each topic raised by the unstoppable supporter of the Third Pole, a shitstorm. “Go away, traitor.” “You’re a Judas.” “You’re stabbing Renzi in the back,” and so on for hundreds of comments. Again, no one from the top intervenes.