An authentic spectacle. An American-style presentation, with lots of smiles, an incredible desire to win and a challenge thrown directly at Elly Schlein. It was an overflowing Matteo Renzi who presented the candidate for mayor of Italia Viva in Florence yesterday morning, the current vice-governor of the Tuscany region, Stefania Saccardi. An opportunity to launch real surface-to-air missiles at the Democratic Party. «Those who are strong are not afraid of the primaries. In 2014, Dario Nardella, who received 83% of the vote, went to the primaries. In 2009 I had the opportunity to become mayor thanks to the primaries. Primaries are not a toy for experts. The Florentine Democratic Party is betraying itself.” Then came the coup de theater and the announcement that no one expected. «On March 3rd we would like to organize open coalition primaries. We invite Cecilia Del Re (the councilor defenestrated by Mayor Nardella, Ed.) and also Sara Funaro herself (the candidate designated by the local assembly of the Democratic Party) to participate. Whoever wins will rule Florence. Anyone who is afraid of primaries is afraid of democracy.”
The IV leader, after a moment of truce (only apparent), fired again at the Democrats. And the (questionable) management of the city and the case of little Kata. «A girl disappeared in June. He lived in an illegally occupied structure. The city of the Institute of the Innocents cannot pretend that nothing happened. If a girl disappears, the city goes into mourning.” Renzi finally turned his attention to his own candidate. «We mobilize the vote specialist, the others mobilize the veto specialists. They will tell us that, acting alone, we will favor the center-right, but that’s a lie. It is the Democratic Party, if it closes, that will hand over the city to Eike Schmidt. Just as it was Enrico Letta who gave victory to Giorgia Meloni. And, let’s be clear, if anyone thinks of blackmailing us and to ask for Stefania’s resignation from her role in the Region, know that we are ready, at this moment, to let the majority that supports Eugenio Giani and all the Tuscan municipalities in which we are present. arrived.”
Smiling, serene, but determined Stefania Saccardi, who knows she faces a challenge that is as difficult as it is fascinating. «No step back can be taken. This is the time for commitment. We are not competing against anyone, we are competing for an idea from Florence. I am convinced that hospitality and absolute respect for the rules must coexist.” Elly Schlein’s decision to step down from the primaries is the result of her extreme weakness within the party (a result of less than 20% in the European elections could blow up her seat) and the need to constantly find common ground with the Five Star Movement . In essence, it is the Lugano native who is forced to go after Giuseppe Conte. And not the other way around. Strong criticism of the regression to one of the distinctive features of the Democrats in Florence, Abruzzo and Sardinia was expressed, among others, by one of the founders of the Democratic Party, Arturo Parisi (“giving up on the primaries is a turn of events that I don’t like”) and by the historical collaborator by Romano Prodi, Sandra Zampa (“not an old, worn-out Democratic Party that decides the candidates in a room. Schlein should explain”).
Source: IL Tempo
Emma Fitzgerald is an accomplished political journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in political science and international relations, she has a deep understanding of the political landscape and the forces that shape it.
