Pd-M5s at the final stage. Schlein and Conte end up in a fight –

The rift now seems definitive: Pd and M5S are starting to run divided in the next local elections for the Municipality of Bari. After the new investigation by the Prosecutor’s Office into the bought votes and the positions taken by the leaders Giuseppe Conte and Elly Schlein, other hypotheses seem to be excluded : both to identify a third figure compared to the two candidates in Sunday’s primaries (now skipped), supported by some big democrats; and the convergence on the five-star candidate Michele Laforgia (proposed by Conte), because the Nazarene confirms that Vito Leccese remains in the field.

From Bari, in the morning, the M5S leader Giuseppe Conte reiterated: “Last Wednesday he warned secretary Schlein in a long telephone call that the situation in Bari was becoming compromised and that if there were new investigations we would not be available to pretend to nothing by continuing with the primaries. Unfortunately it happened” and therefore “there are no primaries”, he sentences, then going down hard on his ally: with Schlein “we also spoke yesterday” and “they let out of the Nazarene who didn’t we had spoken. Before communicating our decisions to the press, I had a long conversation, so please don’t let any more nonsense like this come out.” And not only that: “If they don’t withdraw the accusations of disloyalty, I realize that it will be more difficult to continue working with the Democratic Party.”

In the evening, once more from Bari, comes the reply from the secretary of the Democratic Party: “I am happy to be here with Vito Leccese because I am here as secretary of the Democratic Party to confirm all our trust and our support for a respectable, mirrored person who is always put at the service of the community”, he assures, confirming support “even if you still want to try the path of unity by dialogue with Michele Laforgia to mend the rift that they created yesterday”, because “we have always worked and will continue to work for the ‘unity, to build the alternative to this right”. Then the direct attack on the M5S leader: “I am here with you because unlike others I keep my word. And I am sorry for the decision taken yesterday by Giuseppe Conte, unilaterally, because in this way they help the right”.

In short, the ‘wide field’ fails, with consequences also in the elections for the other regional capitals where the vote will take place. The times when the two leaders celebrated – just over a month ago – the victory in Sardinia seem very distant. Something had already cracked in Basilicata, with the troubled choice of a candidate, not to mention Piedmont where the union appeared immediately (and tomorrow the Movement will announce its candidate). Now mending seems impossible, even if the bridge workers are already at work.