“No hierarchy”. The clash is total –

There is now an open clash between Beppe Grillo and Giuseppe Conte on symbol and mandates. The guarantor of the M5s, in a long post on his blog entitled ‘Our DNA’, dots the ‘i’s in view of the constituent assembly in October, destined to ferry the 5 Star Movement into the future. “During this entire journey – writes Grillo – we have always anchored ourselves to three essential pillars: our symbol, our name and the rule of the second mandate. These three pillars of ours are in no way negotiable, essential and cannot be changed at will. They are the beating heart of the 5 Star Movement, our beacon in the storm. Changing them would mean betraying the trust of those who believed in us, of those who fought with us, of those who saw in the Movement the only hope for real change”.

A stop, however, rejected by the president of the M5s through a video of just over three minutes recorded in Villa Borghese and spread via social media in which he reiterates that the constituent process does not stop and will culminate in the final assembly at the end of October. “A great refoundation process that serves to re-oxygenate us, to relaunch our political proposal”, underlines Conte clarifying that “in this process there are no hierarchies. I myself step aside, together we step aside with the current leadership group, let you members, supporters, show us the solutions, you vote for them”. Without any constraints, without any pre-established perimeter. “We could discuss everything, completely refound ourselves. Yes, even the symbol, even the name, even the organizational rules can be discussed”, is therefore the message to the base, but also to Grillo. Because, the former prime minister states, “we cannot admit that when the community of members has its say, some people should decide arbitrarily and in advance what can be discussed, what can be deliberated on”.

“In the past it hasn’t been like this, in the past the symbol has been changed several times. The double mandate rule has also been changed. Remember the zero mandate rule? – Conte highlights -. Well, we cannot admit that when these decisions are taken by two, three, four, five people, everything is fine and when instead it is the community of members in the context of such an engaging, courageous and revolutionary constituent process this is not good”.

In short, no opening to Grillo who, in the post in which he signed himself as “guarantor and guardian of the fundamental values ​​of the political action of the M5s”, had asked activists, and indirectly also Conte, “to reflect deeply, to listen to your conscience. In this crucial moment we cannot allow ourselves to lose our way. Let us guard and protect what we have built together. The MoVimento is and must remain a force for authentic change, and to do so, we must remain faithful to our founding principles”. A post that, according to leaks, some Five Star parliamentarians have interpreted as a sort of “final blow” by Grillo, “but a symbol of weakness”.