The dew ofthe night of San Giuàn”, the one between 23 and 24 June in the Cremona area has always been considered miraculous and curative. The farmers went into the fields early and rubbed dew on their arms to relieve pain or even walked barefoot across the meadows to cure rheumatic pain. Even the “nocino” was prepared on the 24th in homes using walnuts that were still old but wet with dew. Traditions that are lost over time. But this June 24th gave the city of Cremona a new mayor, Andrew Virgil, a good and well-prepared person, with a profound knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the municipal machine. Virgilio is in love with Cremona, its history, its traditions, its people and this is undoubtedly an important point from which to restart the city. Thanks to the entry into the field of Luciano Pizzetti it overturned the polls last February commissioned by the Democratic Party which saw Virgilio trailing by around 4% against Portesani. Pizzetti on the field, with great humility (and the hundreds of phone calls made from his cell phone to ask for a vote in support of Virgilio testify to this) despite his rich political pedigree, was the great news of this electoral campaign. He could have been the mayor. Many have said, even on the right, that they would have voted for him with their eyes closed because he represents an extraordinary resource for this city. He chose strong and open support for Virgil. He took to the field”for the cause” as they once said among race politicians. Of course his weight, his knowledge, his commitment, his experience can still be a great resource for all of us. Virgilio knows it, the people of Cremona know it.
Alessandro Portesani he lost in the runoff by 192 votes. Very few. He used the entire electoral campaign to make himself known, he glided into politics from civil society and business. There was a great commitment, some good ideas and innovations too, but they were not enough to completely convince the people of Cremona. He pays hard for the divisions in the center-right (two civic lists alone), the social campaign from “they won’t stop” of Giovetti’s supporters directed only against the candidate Portesani, the local situation of Meloni’s party shattered into currents and sub-currents, a thousand center-right votes missing on the decisive day of the ballots.
Whoever wins is always right but Virgilio, a sensitive and politically astute person, knows well that he is faced with a divided city: more than 50% of the people of Cremona did not go to vote and he was able to count on just over half of the votes of who went to the polls. He will serve a new way of managing and involving the city and the people of Cremona, leaving aside the self-referentiality of the recent past.
Archived Gianluca Galimberti (deliberately obscured by political strategists in the last part of the electoral campaign to give Virgilio the definitive license of autonomy), now it is up to the new mayor to restart Cremona, its projects, its ideas, its potential, its beauty, his culture, his dreams. And then there are the many critical issues to resolve (pollution, a biomethane plant that people don’t want, an extraordinary plan for roads, pavements and public spaces, safety, commerce in crisis, the suburbs, transport), the many problems and inconsistencies with which we fill the city news every day.
The abundant dew of the “not de San Giuàn“will he perform a miracle?
