Conte accepts the defeat, but warns Schlein: “To win it’s not enough to go on stage together”

What has extended over the administrative elections is “the restorative and reactionary wave of the right, which is also confirmed at a territorial level”, admits Giuseppe Conte. The president of the 5-star movement can only take note of an “obvious result”, which the M5s parliamentarians will discuss this evening in a joint assembly. Above all, the defeat in Brindisi hurts, where the mayoral candidate was a member of the Movement and where Conte had spent a lot in the electoral campaign: «We were unable to explain our ecological transition project well, in a city that paid a cost very high for fossil fuels», is the rapid self-criticism. The analysis by the former prime minister acknowledges that their opponents “are good at coming together for electoral competitions, and then resume their constant quarrels”, and they are also “very skilled in involving and presenting apparently civic lists, which in reality are stuffed with old marpioni of politics and bosses of organized consensus: this is a fact on which we too must reflect – warns Conte – because the competition becomes difficult at this point “.

The distance to Schlein
No second thoughts, however, on the tepid convergence with the Democratic Party in the ballots and on the failure to share the rallies with Elly Schlein in the electoral campaign. «You don’t win because you get together for a few hours on stage – explains the 5-star president – you have to build political projects, it’s not enough to show up for the elections. I am convinced that Meloni is not fighting with wide fields, but with a different idea of ​​the country ». In short, after the heavy electoral defeat, the perspective of the progressive area does not change: “We are willing to dialogue with the Democratic Party, with Schlein, on issues and projects, but without compromising or watering down our battles”. In a press conference with the group leaders, Conte talks about the mortgage bubble, the high rents for students, the precariousness of work and relaunches the M5s demonstration on June 17 in Rome, of which «we are the promoters, but the protagonist is those who live the social and economic hardship – says the former prime minister – all political, social and civic forces are welcome”. Not exactly a direct invitation to Schlein and the Democratic Party, but it is possible that that will come with a personal phone call: “We’ll see, you’ll find out,” Conte replies to La Stampa, with respect to his intention to call the Pd secretary. Who sent him a public message: “Alone you can’t win”. But for the 5-star leader “it takes time to build a common political offer” and the feeling is that this path will not be able to start before the European elections, June 2024, when we will vote with the proportional system, without the need for alliances.

The new territorial groups
Next year, however, there will be other administrative and regional elections, critical appointments for the Movement, which “historically has no appreciable performance in the territories”, underlines Conte himself. And, therefore, “the only real possibility for us is to build this project of the territorial groups”: 84 are those who officially leave today, coincidentally the day after the thud of the administrative offices. “For us it is a turning point – assures the president – it will guarantee us a constant presence in the territories, to listen to people’s problems and develop active civic practices”. Woe, however, to define them as party sections, because “they will not be places in which to celebrate empty liturgies or return to the old logic of traditional parties”. It is a “big bet”, as Conte himself defines it, “to bring citizens back to democratic participation”. And, possibly, to vote for the Movement.