«Do you want a ‘funarea’ city?», «Nooo» the eighty loyalists reply in chorus Eike Schmidt, who thus harangues the candidates and supporters who arrived at the Isolotto for the last rally of the center-right candidate for the Florentine municipal elections. The director of the Capodimonte museum on leave continues with the appeal, recalling his slogan: «Do you want a magnificent Florence?». «Yessss!» the claque still assists him. “Then you know what to do.”
Behind the Italian German stands Jorit’s mural depicting Antonio Gramsci. «Mural! It’s a Spanish word, you have to use the singular”, he says, rebuking the reporters. The tone is always that of irony, even when asked about the distance between the choice of place for the closing of his campaign and the criticisms that his most important political sponsor, Giovanni Donzellli (FdI), had reserved for the same work, at the time pilloried by the Melonian for the expense that the Municipality – 7 thousand euros – had made available for its execution.
«I didn’t talk to him about it, I didn’t ask permission», He says. Shortly before, he had explored the choice in depth by talking about the valorization of Gramsci as a European figure and his relationship with Benedetto Croce. Also in the queue is the customs clearance that the right is carrying out on his figure with Alessandro Giuli and Gennaro Sangiuliano. “I know that many on the right were not happy that I came here, but Gramsci must be studied, indeed he must be read with a centrist perspective.”
The one he used in this campaign, trying to stand out from the right-wing parties who support him and who were also present in this case complete with flags. In addition to senator Paolo Marcheschi (FdI) and the head of his civic list Paolo Bambagioni, there are the city secretaries of Fdi, Lega and Fi, Jacopo Cellai and Federico Bussolin, Maria Grazia Internò.
Then the discussion becomes more serious, we talk about the vote in the next few hours: «I am also satisfied with the split vote», he says, aiming once again to make his figure perceived across the board, beyond and despite the sides. Then the jab at the outgoing mayor: «I agree with what the IV leader Matteo Renzi said but I also hope that Nardella doesn’t end up in Brussels».
«The sensations – he concluded – are extremely positive, we have further intensified our presence in the various districts of Florence in the last three days. Based on the reactions of the Florentines, I am extremely optimistic. Now the election campaign ends, there is the almost certainly illusory hope of winning already nowbut on the other hand we still have two more weeks.”
