For the last appeal before the vote Gianni Rolando lays down all his cards, even the magic wand, the one he metaphorically wants to use to rewrite the future of Sanremo. And he intends to do it as a technician, «not thanks to me but thanks to the parents who made me study and 44 years of profession». As a politician, given that his coalition can count on the presence of a senator from the Brothers of Italy, Gianni Berrino, the one who first mentioned his name, and therefore is the first to go on stage in Piazza San Siro together with the candidate for mayor. And on the deputy minister of the League Edoardo Rixi, who harangued the people of the center-right with a 10-minute Euro-rally.
In front of another crowd (in the audience the acting president of the Region Alessandro Piana, the mayor of Ventimiglia Flavio Di Muro and other local political representatives) in the same square that welcomed Fulvio Fellegara’s fuchsia wave last Saturday, they all the exponents of the six coalition lists spoke: Fdi, Sanremo Domani, Udc-Dc, Forza Italia, Lega, Andiamo! by Maurizio Zoccarato, the former right-wing mayor who allowed himself a few quirks, from quotes from Pertini (“we defend our opponent, we must always respect him, then we will fight his ideas”) to his version of the useful vote, with only two choices for Sanremo that cut Mager out: «the first choice is Gianni Rolando represented by the center-right parties and the civic lists. The second choice is Fellegara who represents the centre-left parties and civic lists, all the votes given to other candidates help Fellegara”.
And Rolando echoed him shortly after. «Pure civility cannot exist in Sanremo – said Rolando – but it has never existed. Don’t be fooled. Biancheri who governed for 10 years was the centre-left, he had the Democratic Party, that’s all. It was only a clever coup that he made in the last two years that excluded the Democratic Party from his lists.” At the end of a long, at times tiring electoral campaign (“in the last two months I have had 460 meetings”), Rolando condenses his appeal into three points, starting from “discontent”. «Are you happy with the Sanremo you have today? No? This is the first reason”, because “All those who have administered in these 10 years are on the other side, especially in the two large coalitions against me, against us”. Then the institutional relationships and with the government, ensured by ties with politics. «When I dial 335 to call someone in Rome, others will dial 06 for those calling from outside Rome». Third reason? «Everyone talks about big projects, but they don’t even know what they are. They are the Aurelia bis, the upstream railway, all from 30-40 years ago. But I don’t know the impact.” And he brings out the old port. «I said it a month ago, look, this project isn’t going well, it seemed like I had told a lie, after a month the administration arrives and says “we stopped the project because it wasn’t going well”». But he takes out his wand, Uto Ughi’s. «Do you know what he said? That Sanremo is beautiful but a coach would go there.” And he is convinced that he is the right person: “Here’s the third reason, I have the magic wand in my pocket.” Piazza San Siro applauds, it’s time for music, before silence. When only the pencils will do the talking, those of the voters.
