POTENZA – “I feel great enthusiasm, because there has been a truly spectacular result, the citizens have already given the first impression of wanting to change. A political agreement has been established on a programmatic basis with Giuzio and Smaldone. Potenza needs to start again.”
Vincenzo Telesca expresses himself like this in view of the run-off for the tricolor band in the Lucanian capital. Supported by the majority of the Democratic Party, officially with civic lists, he has joined the other two area candidates and will challenge Francesco Fanelli of the centre-right.
A step to “reform – he said – and also lay the foundations for a new centre-left”. Do you think it will be the decisive experience for recreating a laboratory in Potenza?
“Vincenzo Telesca doesn’t win, the union of the three people who participated at this moment wins, therefore Giuzio, Smaldone and Telesca. We will use this laboratory so that a new center-left can start again. All there is to do. It is known, the center-left has been torn apart by internal struggles for many years, the first thing I want to do is to put an end to all this and open up to everyone to be together and start again from Potenza”.
There was talk of partition.
“There was no division, otherwise we would have signed a formal agreement dividing the council, rather, an agreement on the three salient programmatic points to give a complete vision to the citizens of what all three of us want to do together, without forgetting all the others points already present which will be part of the only program that will arrive at the city council”.
You have received attacks, from the purchase of a municipal property to a trial that concerns you, what do you respond to?
“It’s not something that concerns me, I’ve always only thought about the themes. Fanelli is a very good person, he is not in my sights. He probably has no plans and no future for this city, they don’t know what to say and therefore they think they are denigrating my person by attacking me even harshly.”
What does he “envy” his challenger?
“Nothing, envy is a feeling that doesn’t belong to me”.
What does Potenza need?
“First of all of love, on the part of politics and citizens. Potenza is beautiful from all perspectives, often mistreated. We must start again from urban decorum, culture, universities, from young people and elderly people, who ask for a place where they can socialise. He needs to be careful about the services provided to all citizens, without having his jacket pulled as happened in this last part of the electoral campaign, by those who promised to obtain something. It doesn’t have to happen. We need to give a better perspective.”
What does it say to the potential electorate?
“Everyone will have to be taken into account. I tell young people that I don’t have to organize parties for them but the future in this city, try to weave unions between public administration and business, so that they can have a job and be able to think about staying. Many of them tell me, families need to be able to live more lightly, through better services and that’s all they ask for, while elderly people are the backbone of this city.”
First measure as mayor?
“The first measure will be long-term, that of planning, designing and reviewing the public administration. I need the employees and to be with them to understand where we need to take this city. Without public administration Potenza will never be able to achieve the objectives that politics can simply dictate or indicate.”
