LECCE – Officially he came to Puglia for the electoral campaign of the Largo camp which supports the outgoing and re-nominated mayor of Lecce, Carlo Salvemini. But the leader of the 5 Stars, Giuseppe Conte, did not miss an opportunity to send further messages to Michele Emiliano, the governor of Puglia from whom he awaits answers. For the moment “the people’s lawyer” has limited himself to an analysis, from his point of view, of the situation in light of the judicial investigations and after the first measures adopted by Emiliano: “He is the president and he does what he must do. Instead, I am concerned that a pact for legality is adopted, that a team of inspectors is created that can prevent malfeasance at all levels. We must create a turning point. The others will take care of the reshuffles”, said Conte. Then underlining: «We have sent our proposals to Emiliano so he will now have to give an answer and involve the other political forces. What will they do? Will they accept this pact of legality? Will they agree to create an inspection team that will be annoying because they will be people who will prevent malfeasance, all forms of infiltration and transformation?”.
Arriving at the biweekly market in the Salento capital, the former prime minister stopped to greet a 103-year-old lady. Conte then visited the stands and greeted the traders.
«Our approach has always been to serve the interests of citizens. It’s not a question of like or dislike, this has never been a yardstick in our political action. We are interested in the convergences on themes, projects, respect for the principles of legality and transparency. This is the only thing that matters”, he added, responding to those who asked him to comment on the statements made by PD secretary Elly Schlein in Tagadà where she spoke of Conte as “a potential ally” and then explained that the dialogue with oppositions should not be set up by waiting to “all be nice to each other” but “on the issues”. “Everyone attacks us because we don’t want the unity of the centre-left, but then when the conditions exist to go into a coalition you are surprised”, he underlined from Lecce, where after seven years of opposition, a coalition was found for the broad field in favor of Salvemini.
But the words, especially the “recipe” of the Grillino leader for the Puglia Region, did not go down well with the opposition. «The question we ask Giuseppe Conte is simple. Will the 5 Star Movement vote or not on the motion of no confidence in President Emiliano on the agenda of the Regional Council on Tuesday 7 May?”, asked the regional councilors of Fratelli d’Italia Francesco Ventola, Luigi Caroli, Giannicola De in a note. Leonardis, Antonio Gabellone, Renato Perrini and Michele Picaro: «In his now usual sortie in the land of Puglia – they continue – the leader of the M5S brought out another one of his own: inspectors to prevent malfeasance. Countering malfeasance, preventing infiltration and not practicing transformationism should be the foundations of those who do Politics, with a capital P and for which there should be no need for tutoring. What is needed is coherence and dignity. Because the Apulian voters who voted for the Five Star Movement in 2020 did not do so to see the 5 Stars manage with Emiliano, but to be in opposition to a system of power whose fruits are those we learn about almost daily from the news. The acrobatic Count, however, continues to show a certain ease in evading the only political issue in question, proposing recipes here and there to continue governing with Emiliano, setting himself up as the custodian of a puritanism which, however, clashes with reality. Which is that of an M5S in fact an integral part of the colorful majority that supports Emiliano. Next Tuesday will be the opportunity to clarify.”
