Pd, there is controversy again: “Too many parachuted in for the European elections, Piedmont colonized”

“We are disappointed.” It’s another difficult day for the Piedmontese Democratic Party. The party leaders, gathered at the conference “For a united and federal Europe of citizens” organized by Mercedes Bresso at the Juvarra theatre, become dark-faced around 12. While the former president of the Region is on stage, the video link with the national leadership of the Democratic Party marks the bitter sentence on the European elections. Candidates from other regions were placed in better positions than those from Piedmont in the list of the North-West constituency for the elections of 8 and 9 June. “They colonized us,” it is rumoured. “This isn’t good,” they immediately wrote to Rome.

They are all in the theater, dealing with the initial disappointment. The regional secretary Domenico Rossi, the candidate for the presidency of Piedmont Gianna Pentenero, the president of the party Nadia Conticelli. And the candidates for the European elections: the former councilor Antonella Parigi, the president of Article 21 Davide Mattiello, former soul of Libera and dem deputy, the regional secretary of the young democrats Elena Accossato and Luca Jahier, president of the European Economic and Social Committee since 2018 to 2020. While the Piedmontese Democratic Party is at the court of Bresso, the national Democratic Party lists the candidates towards Strasbourg: the leader is Cecilia Strada, daughter of the founder of Emergency, as announced. “Alright then”. Then the head of the PD delegation to the European Parliament Brando Benifei and the MEP Irene Tinagli. “Alright then”. In the fourth box, the bitter surprise: the deputy Alessandro Zan, protagonist of the LGBTQIA+ battles. And not Davide Mattiello, listed in ninth position. «Let the Lombards and Ligurians pass in front, but not even a Venetian» is the message that was immediately delivered to the head of the PD organization Igor Taruffi on the sidelines of the Antonella Parigi meeting.

Controversy is mounting among the militants’ chats. Not so much against Zan, but against betrayed expectations. Expectations which, the regional Democratic Party assures, were in a document approved at the national level: it had been agreed that a Piedmontese would be among the first four positions on the list. «Now enough with the parachutes». «Piedmont is not sacrificed to pit Zan against Vannacci». «We once again risk not electing any Piedmontese in Strasbourg». In the afternoon, the discontent turned into an official appeal to Elly Schlein launched by the regional secretary Domenico Rossi: «We recognize the complex work of composing the list for the European elections». But, he continues, «in terms of the order of candidates the regional management had asked for at least one position at the top of the list, in order to maximize the best possible result also in our region and to try to stem the significant difference that exists between the Lombard population and the Piedmontese one. We hope that in closing the list – three names are missing, ed – the national secretariat can take this request into consideration.”

“It’s not a revolt, just arguments”, specify the party leaders. And the candidates confirm it. «Let’s tone it down now – declares Antonella Parigi – we are ready for the electoral campaign to represent our land with passion». «Positioning on the list is not a problem. After an initial disappointment, the honor of being part of this challenge prevails.” But the annoyance remains, and the request to the secretary to remedy it as well.

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On the Regional front, Gianna Pentenero, from the stage «for a united and federal Europe», attacks Cirio: «My competitor proudly says that he has allocated 90 million of the Pnrr to the non-self-sufficient. But it is a mistake, the State must provide them: the extraordinary funds are needed to change Piedmont.” She doesn’t give up, she attacks the right “who want to subvert Title V”. The PD team for the Regionals is finally closed, and behind Salizzoni the list is in alphabetical order. The two names that were still missing were Andrea Borello from Caselle, a 24-year-old environmental activist and “green” TikToker who works on support campaigns on the ecological transition, and the former principal Tommaso De Luca, former president of Asapi. From today, the electoral campaign on two fronts can officially start. “Finally” is the comment of the Democrats after months of slowdowns due to an attempted agreement with the M5S first and then legal troubles. The desire is to put aside divisions to focus on the challenge with Cirio, also given the results of the first polls. Even if this evening the “Change the Democratic Party, change Piedmont” campaign promoted by the national vice-president of the Democratic Party Chiara Gribaudo will come to life: “A current initiative that does not do the party any good”, they accuse from the Bonaccini area. And not only that: even from the wing close to Schlein there are those who won’t show up: “Let’s deal with the elections first.”