Bologna, 2 June 2024 – “We have the duty to be politicians And not the influencers. Waving a flag gets you nowhere. In the Knesset, as prime minister, I clearly said that Israel had the right and duty to exist and that at the same time the objective had to be to reach a two-people, two-state solution. One thing is certain, however: it is not possible to ignore October 7th, we cannot consider Hamas at the same level as the democratic government of Israel.” So Matteo Renzi comments on the display of the flag of Palestine, later accompanied by that of peace, from Palazzo D’Accursio. Renzi will be there tonight at 8.30pm The Sidney Hotel of via Michelino, 73.
Secretary, many voters perceive the EU as a distant, if not hostile, decision-making body. What do you propose to bring her closer to concrete problems?
“The dream of the United States of Europe goes in this direction: that of a democratic and non-bureaucratic Europe, the Europe of politics and not of bureaucracy. This is why we ask for the direct election of the President of the Commission, transactional lists, l ‘abolition of the power of veto – thus preventing figures like Orban from paralyzing the choices of the EU – a common foreign policy, a European army and, last but not least, an authoritative diplomacy which to date has been completely lacking”.
Schlein, Meloni, Tajani, Calenda are running, already knowing that they will not go to Parliament. What effect does it have on her?
“I and the other candidates on the United States of Europe list are the only ones who, if elected, will really go to Strasbourg. Running if you already know you will give up your seat means defrauding the citizens. And turning the European elections into a poll”
The stop to motorsport hits close to home an area that has made two and four wheels an excellence. What do you propose on this point?
“The so-called green deal was a real failure: it does not contribute to fighting climate change, but penalizes industry and jobs. A process as complex as the green transition must be governed and must be gradual, it certainly cannot end of businesses and citizens. And in fact the masterpiece of Timmermans and Ursula Von der Leyen’s green deal was to make businesses flee to non-EU countries without offering environmental solutions Leyen returns to the helm of Europe. We have a dream and we will work for this: to bring Mario Draghi to the helm of the commission. Those who vote for Forza Italia choose Von der Leyen, those who vote for the United States of Europe choose Mario Draghi.”
Regionals, are you working on a coalition with the center-left or will you keep your hands free?
“We are on the merits of things, we are not interested in armchairs and agreements between currents. We are reformists and we have not renounced anything of what we did when we had the opportunity to govern. If there is the possibility of giving substance to an alliance that supports a coherent, reformist and credible proposal, we are ready to do our part. Otherwise, as we have done elsewhere, we can also go it alone.”
For the post-Bonaccini, among the names eligible for the center-left is the mayor of Ravenna, Michele De Pascale. Is it a profile that convinces you?
“I have known De Pascale for a long time. But the name of the candidate must be the point of arrival of a political reasoning and not the starting point. How do we imagine Emilia-Romagna in the next ten years? What is the opinion on De Pascale’s work Bonaccini? The Democratic Party of Elly Schlein who signs the referendums against the Jobs Act, who is nominating those who ask for the dissolution of NATO, what idea does he have of the future of the Emilians? Once these issues have been resolved, can we think of the most suitable people to implement a shared program? Today, when you write Pd you read CGIL”.
