Florence, the final challenge. Renzi’s plan, the red fort of the Democratic Party at risk

The most difficult challenge, but also the most fascinating one. The possibility of bringing down the last of the red forts and starting the long electoral campaign to conquer the Tuscany region. Eike Schmidt, former director of the Uffizi museum, is the centre-right candidate who will compete, on Sunday and Monday, against Sara Funaro, supported by the Democratic Party, Avs and Action, chosen without having first passed the primaries. In the first round, the latter received 43% of the votes, ten points more than the art historian. But as we know, a new game is being played in the run-off, we start again, just to stick to the football metaphor, from 0 to 0. After having discussed, even harshly, safety and local public transport, the last three days have seen the respective factions throw yourself headlong into two specific themes. The progressives, so as not to contradict themselves, have ridden the usual, hackneyed reference to the “worst right” and the “fascist danger”. A stale refrain, which however has a precise purpose: the call to arms of the radical left, led by Dmitrij Palagi. Light years away from the Democratic Party, they did not appreciate Funaro’s (who has Jewish origins) failure to take a position on the actions carried out by the Benjamin Netanyahu government in Gaza. Will internal or international issues prevail in them?

What will the 6% who voted for Cecilia Del Re in the first round do, a former councilor who was ousted by the then mayor Dario Nardella for a different vision on the construction of the tramway? Will you bow to the dreamlike call of the left or will you remember the verbal clashes, sometimes even violent, and the door closed in your face by the Democratic Party, when the coalition primaries were loudly requested? And if it is true that Stefania Saccardi has shown her support for Sara Funaro, it is equally clear that the activists and supporters of Italia Viva (Matteo Renzi’s party) in Florence did not appreciate this endorsement at all. According to rumors, a large part of the spoils collected in the first round (7%) will go to Eike Schmidt. Sara Funaro is, on the contrary, certain of the support of 3% of the Grillini. The center-right has focused heavily on the Artemio Franchi stadium issue. Fiorentina did not at all appreciate the imposition desired by the municipal administration, which started the renovation works. The Viola club, which has never hidden its desire to build a new and modern stadium at its own expense, has filed a complaint to block the construction site.

Schmidt went together with Fdi senator Paolo Marcheschi to Rome and together they met Guido Crosetto. «The minister has communicated to us his total willingness to quickly evaluate any request for further information that comes to him from the future mayor – underlined the former director of the Uffizi – There are spaces owned by the Ministry of Defense that are waiting to know their future and it makes sense to think of building a modern plant in one of these.” A theme that soon became of national impact. «It is surprising – recalled the Minister of Culture, Gennaro Sangiuliano – that the Municipality of Florence did not adopt suitable measures from the beginning to guarantee continuity in the use of events as an alternative to the Franchi Stadium, to minimize the inconvenience for the Florentine fans and for the entire community so strongly complained about by the sports club”.