Even the fruitful inventor of the wide field is forced to capitulate. Goffredo Bettini: supporter of the alliance between the Democratic Party and 5 Star, the first theoretician of the Giallorossi papocchio. Just him. Now he proposes to revise the name of the heterogeneous coalition. He suggests “field of the alternative”. Meritorious intent: better to emphasize the differences from others than the incompatibilities between them. The variant, however, seems a bit smoky. Better an imaginative alternative, appropriate to the moment: wide quagmire. After all, a month ago he himself had dared a resounding metaphor: “To get out of the swamp of the premiership, we mustn’t talk about it anymore.”
Here: Elly and Giuseppi. We start from there. And we always get there. Schlein and Conte, the future contenders in the primaries. She wants the assets, he doesn’t want much. She wants to arm Kiev, he winks at Moscow. Let’s make a long story short: they don’t agree on almost anything. In the absence of common ideas, they become animated only by the battle that the aspiring prime minister will decree. Little problem: after the victory in the referendum on justice, they thought they would arrive at politics in a carriage. The administrative ones, on the other hand, have strongly scaled back their premature dreams of glory.
The scoppola in Venice was legendary. «From here a strong signal could reach Rome», dreamed Elly. In fact: Simone Venturini, a centre-right civic figure, outclassed Senator Andrea Martella, already a party official. Not only that: the shameless use of Bengali camel troops, who fielded seven candidates in the Democratic Party and wanted a mega mosque in Mestre, was for many detractors yet another proof of inadequacy. While Italians are terrified of uncontrolled immigration, the secretary did not disdain the Islamization of Marghera for a handful of votes.
Another bitter disappointment was the triumph of the detested caciques: Vincenzo De Luca in Salerno and Mirello Crisafulli in Enna. The former Campania governor and the former Sicilian senator won by a landslide, despite the hostility of the Nazarene. «Didn’t the Democratic Party give us the symbol? He did very well, so we got more votes.” Mirello rages. But bold and pragmatic reformists also prevailed in the administrative elections, far removed from Schleine’s delusions. Like Matteo Biffoni in Prato, a former Renzian supporter re-elected with a plebiscite. After the success, he sent an eloquent message to the secretary: «The Democratic Party can count not on the mayors’ party, but on their listening. Taking a political result for granted at this moment would be a fatal mistake.”
In short, the longed-for No people will not rush to the polls with the Constitution in hand. Even newspapers and salons, which already theorized the infallible theorem, harbor excruciating doubts. Polls are not the Gospel, for goodness sake. But if before they certified the anxiety of the majority, now they ditch the field, sorry quagmire, wide. The Democratic Party is at its lowest since Elly was elected: just 20 percent, almost four points less than the European ones, according to authoritative findings. Half of the Democratic Party, which already resented the too vague and shamelessly radical party, recalled the usual Morettian theorem in council meetings: “With a secretary like that we will never win.” Given the dire predictions and the blatant preferences for the loyalists, the defections have also begun. After the MEP Elisabetta Gualmini and the former minister Marianna Madia, many would be ready to leave.
The revenge of reformists and Catholics could be even more subtle: to stir in the shadows, to make them lose the primaries and then the party. On the other hand, he has been at the Nazarene for over three years. It has already outclassed its latest predecessors in terms of durability. The new electoral law, which should be approved by the summer, risks scuppering his remaining dreams of glory. The coalition will have to indicate a shared program and candidate for prime minister. There is neither one nor the other. It could be worse: if preferences returned, for example. The Orthodox don’t look like vote catchers. Indeed: Igor Taruffi, Marta Bonafoni, Chiara Braga. The usual unknowns.
The dilemma that was already meandering among the Dems, then, becomes a certainty: Giuseppi would be a more formidable opponent for Giorgia Meloni. He led two governments. It’s less divisive. If he managed to triumph, he would be supported by a large part of the Democratic Party: out of conviction or spite. On the contrary, after a possible victory for Elly, the 5 stars could slip away. The latest administrative elections were yet another proof: while in Rome they were trying to put together an alliance, the militants rebelled or deserted. In Venice, half of the five-star voters chose Venturini, proving decisive for his success in the first round. And in Pistoia, despite the victory, the Five Stars stopped at two percent.
Of course: elsewhere things went better. Not much, though: on average not even five percent. And how can the leader of a party with prefixed percentages still aspire to Palazzo Chigi? Bold, indeed. Answer: thanks to the Democratic Party, which has always been divided into streams and currents. With an aggravating circumstance: in the glorious times of Franciscanism the Dems were one of Beppe Grillo’s favorite targets. The founder bombarded: «Pdmenoelle», «pidioti», «the Camorra’s favorite party». If Giuseppi were to succumb, the never-suppressed mistrust could be unleashed again.
Then there is the third wheel. Another contender will take votes away from Schlein. Like Gaetano Manfredi, mayor of Naples: he governs in harmony with the Five Star Movement and has splendid relations with Roberto Fico, governor of Campania and historic leader of the Movement. Even if the most insidious suitor would be Silvia Salis, mayor of Genoa, with unrivaled media attraction. This is why Volturara’s lawyer Appula wants a clear cut: no run-off in the primaries. The votes of the defeated candidates, in fact, could go to Elly. And then he asks to open up to online consultation, as in the best five-star tradition, to avoid Piddino dominance in the gazebos.
In short, it’s a wide quagmire. Bettini, lyrically, objects: «The center-left is soulless, it still doesn’t spark a flash of hope». It’s not just the Giallorossi architect who is complaining. Another glorious veteran, former senator Luigi Zanda, admits: “The center left is not ready to govern.” He adds: it just seems like an electoral sign and that consultation would be a disaster. Even Romano Prodi criticizes both the secretary, who was his ardent supporter, and the method, even though he was the first winner of the coalition primaries. So much so that he decided to devote himself to a moderate candidacy.
Other career strategists think the same, but they don’t dare say it, fearing Elly’s wrath. Of course: what if he were to make it? The eternal Dario Franceschini, for example: the one from whom every leader descends. Including her, who supported strenuously in unsuspecting times, demonstrating undeniable flair. Or former prime minister Paolo Gentiloni, nicknamed “Er moviola” for his amazing softness. They were confident in the usual draw. Once again, the reform wanted by Giorgia risks breaking their ecumenical projects: the abundant majority bonus would make the mess-ups difficult.
From 2011 to 2022 the center-left has never won an election. Yet, he has always remained in the vicinity of Palazzo Chigi. The living proof remains Giuseppi. In 2018 he was chosen among the few academics willing to give credit to the Movement. He passed, without creasing his pocketbook, from an alliance with the League to another with the Democratic Party. And now the Foggia troublemaker is preparing for the primaries, with exceptions and rules. Elly, the “stubborn unit”, will have to agree.
A duel with no holds barred: two gunslingers challenging each other in the fog, with their boots immersed in the wide marsh.
