«Today we can celebrate the victory of the united center-left». It is not a ritual phrase that of the new mayor of Bari Vito Leccese, when he arrives at his committee shortly after 5pm amidst the chants of “Bella ciao”, when it is now clear that he has exceeded 70% in the run-off against the Northern League member Romito.
With him are his great sponsors, the governor Michele Emiliano and the outgoing mayor Antonio Decaro, with whom Leccese worked for years in the Municipality as a man-machine. «I will continue to work in the wake of this wonderful experience». With him there is also Michele Laforgia, the M5S and Left candidate who had shared Conte’s decision to stop the April primaries after the spring investigations which had affected city councilors and a centre-left regional councilor (the Municipality is still risk of dissolution due to mafia).
In the first round Laforgia (which took 20%) had focused heavily on the need for a change within the centre-left in Bari. But he had no doubts about supporting Leccese. «He supported me loyally, among us there is a unity of ideals and values that will inspire us in the government of the city», says the new mayor, aware that Laforgia’s votes were fundamental for such a large victory. Which should silence the right-wing campaign against 20 years of center-left governments in the Apulian capital. «We have also contributed to this extraordinary success», says Laforgia who underlines the need to «renew the centre-left government in the city». «With this vote, the people of Bari have said that they don’t want to go back», says Leccese, who thanks Elly Schlein: «She was close to me, she came here three times, she showed herself confident even when she was scared by the divisions in the coalition. Today is the victory of the entire center-left.”
Now the hardest work will be to develop a team that satisfies all appetites, those of the Democratic Party in continuity with the Decaro era and those of the M5S which joined the coalition in the second round. For Laforgia there shouldn’t be a place on the council, but there will certainly be space for those who represent his request for innovation in the ruling class. “I would especially like to be the mayor of all those who did not participate in the vote because they no longer believe in the power of politics over their future,” said Leccese. «I am happy for him and for the city which will be led by a man with a big heart and who knows well how to administer it because for 20 years he was a public manager at the Municipality», says Decaro who on Sunday evening, with the polls open, was was immortalized by dozens of phones while taking part in a karaoke in Bari Vecchia to the tune of «Acqua e sale» by Mina and Celentano. A clear sign of serenity regarding the outcome of the polls.
Emiliano is also enthusiastic, whose council was quite agitated in the hottest days of the investigations which led to a reshuffle of the regional team. «Vito is a man who I have had close to me for many years and whom I respect deeply. Today is a day of joy because there will be another five years of good governance for this city».
