Barrier to Conte Lacarra’s diktat: Decaro is a champion

On the contrary, the diktat was not liked. The slowdown imposed by the leader of the Movimento 5 Stelle, Giuseppe Conte, on the possible candidacy of the mayor of Bari, Antonio Decaro, for the presidency of the Puglia Region, does not collect consensus. At least so it seems. On the contrary, it could exacerbate friction within the centre-left coalition which seemed ready to support Decaro in the race for the 2025 Regionals. During his tour in Bari last Monday, while on the one hand the former premier strengthened the alliance with the governor Michele Emiliano, on the other he specified that whoever is mortgaging candidates at the moment (in view of the Regionals) will he is doing it on his own. An elegant way of saying that on the name of Decaro, until now indicated albeit well in advance by a very wide range of political exponents ranging from Emiliano himself to Carlo Calenda, there is currently no agreement. And who knows if there will ever be, given that the pentastellati in the Municipality are in opposition, contrary to what happens instead (with the exception of Antonella Laricchia) in the Region. The issue, which is far from secondary, according to what Conte reported, would not have been addressed at the moment with Emiliano during the long chat and the subsequent working lunch in the Region (not on the agenda), but that his words are intended to fuel the discussion is confirmed by the comments the following day. Although many, especially among the representatives of the civic lists close to Emiliano, prefer not to say too much to avoid throwing fuel on the fire. In short, a minefield that invites caution. Those who, on the other hand, strengthened by a positive relationship with Conte, try to launch a bridge towards the allies the regional secretary of the Democratic Party, Marco Lacarra: We will initiate contacts with the 5 Stars to offer Puglia the best possible government – says the parliamentarian from Rome – the the center-left will have to present itself unitedly at the next administrative and regional elections. We have a champion in Antonio Decaro. We work to preserve the wide field that the Emilian government has built to win the elections by listening to and respecting everyone. Fabiano Amati, just appointed regional action commissioner after leaving the Democratic Party together with his colleague Ruggiero Mennea, confirms his sympathy for Decaro despite having been ousted from the majority in the Region. And he has a different interpretation of the alliance between Conte and Emiliano: This close relationship between Emiliano and the 5 Stars – he says – is an attempt to sabotage the Democratic Party. Throughout Italy the 5 Stars have launched a hostile takeover bid against the Democratic Party and Conte doesn’t even hide it, he wants to absorb everyone to the votes of the Democratic Party. it is clear that if this is their political line, Apulian compliance is a way to lend a hand in winning this hostile takeover bid. As for Decaro – specifies Amati – we esteem him as we have said several times. Frankly, it all seems to me a great social game set up by Emiliano with the complicity of Conte to make the road more difficult for Decaro and for all the good that can be built in a reformist coalition. Amati then underlines the role that Giuseppe Conte’s party is playing at the moment. It seems to me that the 5 Star Movement – he declares – is not available to build this broad reformist coalition in Puglia in the coming years. The most serious thing is that not a single word is heard on the substantive topics that concern Puglia, for example on waiting lists, on screening, on the simplification of urban planning regulations. Maybe that’s why they find it difficult to deal with us.

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