VITTORIO VENETO (TREVISO) «Vote Balliana!». After a few days of silence, the Northern League supporter has digested the defeat which still leaves a bitter taste in his mouth Giovanni Braido – mayoral candidate of the coalition formed by Lega, Fratelli d’Italia, Forza Vittorio, Indipendenza Veneta and civic mayor Giovanni Braido – comes out of the closet in view of the run-off on 23 and 24 June between the centre-left mayoral candidate Mirella Balliana (Pd, Rinascita Civica -Participating: Vittorio, Progetto Vittorio Futura, Vittorio Vive and civic Mirella Balliana Mayor) and the center-right candidate (Forza Italia, civic Gianluca Posocco Mayor and Toni Da Re list) and former Northern League member Gianluca Posocco. Braido, as is his style, speaks openly, without mincing words and clearly says what he will not do: no support for Posocco and, indirectly, for Gianantonio Da Re with whom good ties have not reigned for years.
Braido, you were thinking of another ending for this electoral appointment, right?
«Yes, the polls gave a completely different result. However, it is better to have lost now than in the run-off.”
Balliana and Posocco remain in the running: have you heard from them?
«Balliana immediately, following the outcome of the first round, was keen to call me and I appreciated this. Then yesterday (Wednesday ed.) I also met her. Posocco and his team, however, have never been heard from.”
Appearance in sight for the runoff?
«No, there won’t be, neither with one nor the other».
But will it give information to its 2,873 voters, those who voted for it in the first round?
«Personally, and unofficially I also speak for all the representatives of the five lists that supported me, I believe that between a respectable person and something else, Mirella Balliana should be chosen».
So you won’t go to the beach in the run-off, but will vote and will you do it for the centre-left mayoral candidate?
“Yes exactly. I therefore appeal to the voters of my five lists: vote for Balliana!”.
Why not for Posocco, his former party colleague and center-right area like your coalition?
«Someone (Toni Da Re ed.) wanted to eliminate the League in Vittorio Veneto and the united centre-right. Now, if we want to start again, we will do it from scratch.”
You, as an unelected mayoral candidate, are entitled – whether the mayor is Balliana or Posocco – to a place as municipal councilor in the chamber: will you return after 15 years of absence?
«With Posocco as mayor I will never be a minority councilor. However, if the mayor is Balliana, yes, I will be in the council on the opposition benches.”
What’s the mood in your party? On Wednesday evening there was a first meeting between militants and supporters following the election results…
«I didn’t participate. The provincial secretary Dimitri Coin will arrive tomorrow (tonight ed.).
Have you heard from him in these hours?
«No, he didn’t call me, as he never did during the electoral campaign. His only presence in the city was at the opening of the electoral campaign, when the president of Veneto Luca Zaia arrived for my public presentation. Then Coin was never seen again, he was never there, neither physically nor with a phone call. For weeks he flirted with Toni Da Re and for this reason, in my opinion, he should be expelled from the League.”
Rumors say that in the meeting he will propose to support Posocco…
«The League of Vittorio Veneto does not intend to support the current council, therefore Posocco, which has proven to be anti-Lega. We are loyal to the citizens and do not betray them. For us there must be no personalism if the city loses out. The entire current council, with the exception of Bruno Fasan, has publicly dissociated itself from the Vittoria League and therefore there is no longer any connection with the League.”
To Northern League militants and supporters, what would you like to say?
«I thank all the representatives of the League, that of orthodoxy as some wanted to define it, who supported me in this electoral campaign».
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VITTORIO VENETO (TREVISO) «Vote Balliana!». After a few days of silence, having digested the defeat which still leaves a bitter taste in the mouth, the Northern League member Giovanni Braido –…
