Was a backfirebut also of Fiamma with a capital f. MSI militantalready a municipal councilor, mayordeputy, senatorMEP e ministerNow Adriana Poli Bortone is driving again Lecce. TO 81 years old. A life a right, never denied. Although in one of the most viewed reels on Instagram of his electoral campaign, “the Adriana”as everyone calls her, turns to her niece who asks her how to respond to those who classify her as one “dangerous extremist” rolling his eyes: “But he is get in the way, Fanny?”. And it is actually difficult to trace anything extreme in this woman who wanders around the neighborhoods of the Salento capital eating pasticciotti and dancing to the tune of You are the only woman for me by Alan Sorrenti. But something ancient must still burn if, galvanized by the flags of Brothers of Italyshouted from the stage at the end of the electoral campaign for the European elections: “We will kick out the Leninists from our cities, gone forever. I want to send them away from Lecce, away from Puglia, away from Italy.”
A life in the municipality
Last remnants of aeternal militancy. Because Adriana Poli Bortone was the most visible face of Italian Social Movement in Lecce. Elected councilor for the first time in 1967, only woman. In practice, she will never leave Palazzo Carafa again. Confirmed in the assizes until 1998when she makes the leap and becomes mayor by beating Stefano Salveminithe father of Carlo defeated in this round, and five years later it was confirmed by tearing up the magistrate Alberto Maritati. In the following years he launched his dolphin Paolo Perrone and she settles into the role of vice-mayor, keeping three proxies for herself. Now the return from “princess”as someone shouted to her from under the stage in Piazza Sant’Oronzo where she went up to celebrate the victory.
The rise and the rifts
In its political career which ends up coinciding with her life, “Adriana” was also many other things: deputy from 1983 to 1998, then MEP from 1999 to 2008 and senator from 2008 to 2013. An endless curriculum enriched by the guidance of Ministry of Agricultural Policies during the Berlusconi I. Unable to stay on the sidelines, in a period of rearguard she also ended up as a councilor in Materaso much iron lady (Thatcherian by self-definition) to split the Apulian centre-right on several occasions, both in the 2019 municipal elections, when she ran alone, collecting 9.6% of the votes, and in the regional elections twice. The last one in 2020when he decided not to support the other standard-bearer of the Salento right, Raffaele Fitto. And which party did it go hand in hand with in this very recent history of splitism? Tricolor Flame (“But it is get in the wayFanny?”).
Everyone reunited to take back Lecce
He dumped her in 2022 and in the end “Adriana” put back together the pieces that she herself had contributed to dividing. Ten lists to support his movement I South at 8 percent behind only FdI, and everyone is happy. The story is stitched together and holds theUdc And Pippi Mellonethe mayor of Nardò who four years ago did not disdain disguised support for Michele Emiliano but which continues to have its home and heart at the bottom on the right. Poli Bortone missed victory in the first round by 24 votes, she prevailed in the run-off with 647 preferences ahead. They had to warn her because – she said – he preferred to wait for her results by playing burraco with her friends. Once the people of Lecce gave her back the scepter of the city, she went back on stage with all the leaders of the centre-right (Fitto was missing, he only sent a note of congratulations, but it must certainly be a coincidence) and put a crown of silver plastic that some supporter gave her. So the smoke bombs and two batteries of fireworks. Even the children ended up in the soup of joy chants against the people of Baria question of football bell tower and also a message to Emiliano.
“Enough cycle paths, now the flowers”. And on social media…
It was acoronation for a handful of votes in an evidently divided city, but to which she was able to speak a spade and wine for wine. The watchwords were “no more cycle paths”“too many speed cameras”, “few parking spaces”. Even if the first promise after the election was different: “I will put flowers on the windows, the Municipality was sad”. Thus Poli Bortone became tri-mayor of Lecce: you are the only woman for me, like her song that marked her election campaign. On those notes, headphones on his head, in front of a DJ console he exclaimed while letting loose: “I dance better than Salvemini”. A frank communication and clear thanks to the support of a team of young people. “They always expect a punchline from me…”. So here is “the Adriana” who cooks risotto with Cosimino’s chard, “the Adriana” who visits a run-down square (she had renovated it when she was mayor) and wonders if among all those tall grasses she cannot collect them zanguni, delicious wild herbs at the base of some typical dishes. The rest was also a recipe old school: all together as in the past, Poli Bortone at the helm. It still worked.
