«I have spoken to President Emiliano, our technical staff are speaking to work on the legality pact and for our bill to establish an inspection unit to prevent malfeasance. President Emiliano is available.” Thus, with a few words spoken on the sidelines of the Puglia regional assembly of the Five Star Movement, the five-star leader Giuseppe Conte revives the old feeling with the President of the Region Michele Emiliano. And after having consummated the rift in the previous Apulian sorties, first with the reversal on the primaries and then with the withdrawal of him from the positions in the Region, seems to once again reach out to the governor in deference to a bond that has evidently never been broken despite scandals and controversies.
“It seems to me – says Conte regarding his plan to lock down the regional offices, protecting them from malfeasance – that there is also appreciation from the technical offices of the Puglia Region for our proposals. I am confident that there can be that turning point and that we can create an environment that is more difficult for malpractice and corruption to permeate. So we are confident”, Conte says clearly. Who, regarding a possible return to the council of the M5S by the end of the year, he prefers to remain vague: «Our goal is not that, there is a path to follow, there is a project, then we will evaluate».
In any case, the former Prime Minister strongly claims the M5S’s commitment to legality. “Which party is leaving its seats in accordance with the principles it claims to pursue, the principles of legality? Tell me which one it is?” he asks. «To achieve this result, which has a cost, a leader is not enough, a community is needed», he points out. Conte recalls that M5S regional councilors and councilors in Puglia «interrupted the work they were doing with honor and discipline, but their sacrifice was necessary to give the Movement the negotiating power to say that here in the Puglia Region we will move forward only if you approve the legality pact and to establish the team of inspectors to prevent malfeasance.”
Regarding the local elections, Conte – who supports Michele Laforgia in Bari – declares: «Competing with our rules is very difficult, we are experimenting with it. We often get unsatisfactory results, sometimes disappointing. But be careful, we don’t have to worry about the result if we are consistent with our principles and values. This must be our strength. When we put the result before us we will become like the other parties, our vocation will be extinguished. We must never allow it.” «Let’s start from the European elections – continues the leader of the M5S -, we formed our lists by voting internally. Then I took on political responsibility and invited you to vote for some selected personalities and asked you to also confirm the candidacies of the outgoing candidates. Because whoever behaves with honor and discipline – he explains – is right to be confirmed. «We will fight – ha
concluded – this arms race, we are in a terrible situation. Meloni has embraced a war economy, ours
MEPs will say no.”
