Maria Aida Esposito, supported by Pd, Italia Viva, Azione and M5S, in the lead. But Galliani wins in Berlusconi’s historic seat after the controversy of the local Democrats over the choice of Schlein
The wide field, or rather in this case ‘very wide’, works with elections in Foggia where the civic Maria Aida Episcopo – supported by a coalition made up of Pd, Italia Viva, Azione and M5S – is ahead in the ballot still in progress. However, the broad front in support of Marco Cappato is not enough to wrest the symbolic seat of Monza-Brianza, the ‘historic’ one from Silvio Berlusconi, from the centre-right which elects the Italian Adriano Galliani as senator.
The campaign in the Brianza seat had been animated by a harsh controversy from the local Democratic Party which had not shared Elly Schlein’s choice to favor the unity of the coalition with Action, Avs and M5S over Cappato in the face of the possibility of nominating a local Democratic representative . So much so that the Democratic Party mayor, Paolo Pilotto, winner of the local elections in Monza just a year ago, had made it known in recent days that he would not vote in the by-elections. And the lack of presence of the leaders for the electoral campaign is also stigmatised: Calenda, Conte and Schlein did not show up. “We knew it would be a very difficult challenge, for which I took full responsibility, therefore also for the defeat”, says Cappato immediately.
Lights and shadows in coalition trials
In short, lights and shadows in the trials of an alternative coalition to the centre-right, Elly Schlein’s declared and reiterated objective. If the final results confirm the victory in Foggia it could be a good starting point for making agreements also in view of the 2024 administrative elections when almost 4000 municipalities will vote. The heavy figure of abstentionism always remains in the background: in the Monza by-election the collapse was vertical, but also in Foggia there is a retreat despite, compared to the previous session, voting was held in two days instead of just one.
Trento and Bolzano, Marcucci warns Italia Viva: “Single list or irrelevance”
As for the electoral round in the provinces of Trento and Bolzano, the reflection on a national level – and in view of the European elections – comes from the events of the ‘former’ Terzo Polo as Andrea Marcucci defines it. “The electoral result of the former Third Pole in Trentino Alto Adige is disastrous, both for Action and for Italia Viva. If they have chosen to become irrelevant, the path taken is the right one. Single list or irrelevance. Think about it, it could be the last call,” he wrote on Twitter. He agrees with Sandro Gozi: “Unity or irrelevance. Choose. We have chosen a long time ago: Renew Europe means unity”.
Reply Ivan Scalfarotto from Iv: “I say to my friend Andrea Marcucci that his considerations on the Terzo Polo are acceptable. We at Italia Viva, despite having obtained a better result than Azione in Trento, have always thought so and for this reason we gave Carlo our availability to run together in the European elections: the problem is Calenda’s will, not Italia Viva.”
Tomorrow there will be a new chapter in the tumultuous relationship between Action IV. After the divorce in the Senate last week with the change of the name of the group – wanted by Renzi and contested by Calenda – the president Ignazio La Russa will see the Renzian Enrico Borghi and Mariastella Gelmini of Azione for “a friendly composition before having to operate on what within its competence”, La Russa spokesperson Emiliano Arrigo explained in recent days. But according to Iv there isn’t much that is ‘friendly’: “For us – say the Renzians – it is a formal step but the decision has been made. Action has no way of overturning what was decided by the majority group. The only Calenda’s tool is to appeal to the Regional Administrative Court, he has no other recourse”.
Schlein: “United we win”
“Great joy for the victory of Maria Aida Episcopo and our coalition, Foggia is raising its head again after seven years of misgovernment and the dissolution due to the mafia. It is proof that united we win, there is an alternative to the right. The Democratic Party believed in it from the beginning and will work even more convincingly in this direction. From today Foggia can write a different page for the future.” The secretary of the Democratic Party Elly Schlein states that she spoke to the new mayor of Foggia on the phone.
Conte: “You can raise your head”
“Foggia has ‘made a move’! Maria Aida Episcopo’s victory fills me with pride. Our triumph today is a resounding slap from the citizens against the mafia infiltration which led to the dissolution of the Municipality, previously administered by the centre-right. Maria Aida she is a competent and passionate person, ready to defend the city tooth and nail. With her, Foggia is on the right side: the one that the M5S has never abandoned in recent years. Because while others bowed to crime and corruption , my governments and the M5S brought the state garrisons to Foggia, starting with the anti-mafia investigative directorate”. The leader of the M5S, Giuseppe Conte, writes it on his social networks.
“Now with the people of Foggia we send a strong message that goes beyond the borders of Puglia, the borders of the land where I was born and raised. We can raise our heads, we can change things: Foggia is here to prove it to us”, concludes Conte.
Source-www.adnkronos.com