The engines are heating up for the closing of the electoral lists in view of the local elections of 8 and 9 June in Bari. The lines of the three candidates in the field are at work, Vito Leccese and Michele Laforgia for the centre-left and Fabio Romito for the centre-right coalition.
In an organizational meeting that took place yesterday, the progressive group in support of the former parliamentarian and head of cabinet of Antonio Decaro, defined that there will be ten symbols to be presented in support of Leccese, including that of “Con”, the political movement close to governor Emiliano. In “overbooking”, however, the PD container, on the front line with the environmentalist, which at this point could bring together some of the selected profiles on the civic groups of Decaro and directly emanating from Leccese, such as Progetto Bari. Dissolved halfway instead, the Verdi knot (with Leccese) and the Italian Left (from the first moment in support of Laforgia). What is certain is that in the Bari municipal elections the symbol of the Green and Left Alliance will not be crossed out, as will happen in the European elections. And it is perhaps to preserve the alliance in view of the race for Brussels that only the symbol of Green Europe will be in support of Leccese. A group that will be made up predominantly of women, including the current Councilor for Culture of Bari Ines Pierucci.
However, there are still doubts about the way in which Sinistra Italia will support Laforgia. We reason on two hypotheses: the first, perhaps also to safeguard the electoral alliances with the Greens, would be to avoid presenting one’s own list, but to let SI’s contribution flow into the other civic containers in support of Laforgia, in the field with the Convention and M5S. The second is to include – if necessary – not only the people, but also the symbol. The key to the problem could be found by the weekend. And the victory of the very broad leader in Basilicata could also open up new scenarios for the local vote in Bari. Action, which contributed decisively to the re-election of governor Vito Bardi, would be in the field with Vito Leccese. Italia Viva, however, should support Michele Laforgia. But the idea of being in coalition with Conte’s Five Star Movement does not seem to go down well with Matteo Renzi.
On the other front, Bardi’s success in nearby Basilicata is a source of pride for the center-right aspiring mayor of Bari. «Vito Bardi’s victory is the victory of the united centre-right. But above all it is the victory of Basilicata and the Lucanians, who can continue to see their territory grow. Even in Basilicata, in fact, the proposal of the centre-left, disunited as in Bari, was not credible. Good job, President. We continue to work to give the same gift to Bari and the people of Bari”, he wrote in a post on his social profiles. Meanwhile, the electoral campaign lights up with a controversy between Laforgia and the city secretary of the Democratic Party Gianfranco Todaro, on the reasons for the lack of consent from the Democrats to the lawyer’s entry into the field. Todaro also attributed the decision to some words pronounced by Laforgia in July during a Just Cause assembly, defined as “destabilizing”. «Which part of the speech did the provincial secretary of the Democratic Party find destabilizing? I think it’s right to know this, not so much to explain a fact now in the past – having attributed to me, as he has done several times, a “divisive” character, so much so that I arrived separated in the first round of the municipal elections – but to discuss the present and, above all, of the future of our region and our city”, replied the criminal lawyer in a note.
