Pd and M5s still in chaos for the local elections in Bari, where the two candidates, Leccese and Laforgia are still running. A third name had emerged, Nicola Colaianni, who could have reunited the wide field. But faced with Conte’s resistance, Colaianni withdrew.
UPDATE: In Bari there is still discussion in the centre-left, which is still in chaos in view of the next local elections, which will be held in June, in conjunction with the regional elections in Piedmont and the European elections. And after Conte’s failure to decide at the last minute to withdraw from the primaries, which should have been held on April 7th, to support the candidate Michele Laforgiathere are those who have not yet given in to the disintegration of the broad field for the next municipal elections and would like a single candidate.
After the investigations into the vote swap which involved exponents of the centre-left in the municipality of Bari and in the Region, the positions of the Pd and M5s could not be further apart. Currently in the running for the role of mayor, which will be voted on in June, are Vito Leccese, close to Antonio Decaro and supported by the Democratic Party; and the criminal lawyer Michele Laforgia, supported by M5s and the Italian Left. To try to recompose the coalition in view of the elections, where the united center-right has proposed the 36-year-old Northern League member Fabio Romitothe former Apulian governor Nichi Vendola (Si) had suggested the 78 year old Nicola Colaianniformer university professor, magistrate and parliamentarian, who however renounced his candidacy.
“I accepted – he explained in a note – in a spirit of service, the proposal to stand as a single candidate for the centre-left to avoid the division feared by many. I guaranteed the two candidates, and the forces that support them, equal dignity, control over the cleaning of the lists, transparency and, of course, legality. I have found, however, that, despite the substantial ideal and programmatic convergence, rigidities remain which do not make a composition possible”.
Why Conte and Schlein are arguing over Bari and what happens now
“With the same spirit of service – Colaianni said again – I therefore give up the attempt and calmly entrust the two candidates with the task of laying the foundations for mutual support in the further stages of the electoral process”.
“I thank the numerous people, some unknown before now or abstentionists for a long time or even resident in other parts of Italy and therefore animated only by ideal goals – he added – who expressed solidarity and willingness to accompany this beating of butterfly wings”.
The main obstacle to Colaianni’s candidacy, which would thus have reunited the progressive front, was linked to the doubts expressed by Conte: “Regeneration in this case sounds provocative, considering its age. Let the representatives of the local political forces discuss it.” It’s still: “We have no reason to set aside Michele Laforgia’s candidacy but we will see what happens.”
The candidate Vito Leccese for his part also said he was willing to take a step back: “My candidacy is only in the field to unite the coalition. But it is the forces that support me that decide”, he reiterated in an interview with ‘La Repubblica’. “I am meeting the leaders of the political forces who support my candidacy to decide. Then – he explained – I will see Michele Laforgia to understand with him how to proceed. The objective of maintaining the unity of the coalition is fundamental for me”.
As for Nicola Colaianni as a possible unity candidate, he said: “I appreciate his availability and I thank him. He is certainly an authoritative name, a great personality with whom I had the opportunity to collaborate.” According to Leccese, Conte’s opinion on him is “ungenerous”, “It’s clear that Conte has no desire to work on the wide field.” For Leccese we must instead remember that the objective is “defeat the centre-right, our true adversary. Stop the wicked projects on differentiated autonomy, block the degeneration of Italian society. And above all not interrupt that turning point, that push for change started in the last ten years by Antonio Decaro, who also realized many of those dreams that we have chased since the nineties, such as the creation of a park on the site of the former Fibronit, the asbestos factory that caused 400 deaths”.
In recent days, in an interview with Fanpage.it, the vice-president of the Democratic Party, Chiara Gribaudohad said she was skeptical about the hypothesis of a unitary candidate for the center-left in Bari: “Conte’s rupture in the Puglia Region with the announcement of the exit of the 5 Star Movement from the Council is an acceleration in the opposite direction that I expected. A bad move, which I hope remains a local fact. I don’t know and I don’t want to get into the details of the Bari affair but I can draw a lesson from it. Making yourself available, as I did in October for Piedmont, means precisely this: not wanting to impose yourself at all costs but being willing to help find unitary solutions also considering the own possible sacrifice”.
Tags: hypothesis unitary candidate disappears Colaianni withdraws
