Conte to the Democratic Party: “They have lost their compass. Let them choose Renzi’s profiteering or environmental justice”

Giuseppe Conte’s Lombard program starts from the health theme, which today stopped in Monza, Como and Pavia for some electoral meetings in view of the regional elections of 12 and 13 February next. “Health care is one of the most important issues, it is very close to our hearts,” the M5 leader told reporters. «Because Lombardy has great excellence in the health field, but it has also shown itself to be fragile, especially during the pandemic. We have all experienced it. Today my tour begins to draw the citizens’ attention to the need to have another Lombardy, to move on », he said.

Unlike Lazio, where the cinquestelle will run alone with the candidate Donatella Bianchi, in Lombardy they will support the candidate of the Democratic Party, Pierfrancesco Majorino. Agreement arrived not without stomach ache, after weeks of negotiations “on issues”. And precisely on the issues dear to the Movement that Conte wants to return to discuss with the Democratic Party also at a national level: “If they want environmental and social justice, they will find us”. And on the ongoing dem congress he added: «I hope that a true identity will emerge from these congressional works, a clear and certain vision. For now they have lost the compass. I hope it will be a refounding congress, otherwise they won’t go anywhere. In short, let them choose if they want Renzi’s profiteering and Calenda’s neo-liberal pragmatist efficiency».

Speaking of Renzi, Conte did not miss the opportunity to reply to the barb of the leader of Italia Viva: “He meant that before entering politics he could afford a Twingo, now a Ferrari with the Saudis’ money”. Yesterday, Renzi, on the stage in Milan, had in fact criticized the dem – and quoted Shakira – saying that “In the Democratic Party they had a Ferrari – me and Calenda – and they swapped it for a Twingo” (alluding to the M5s).

President Grillino also wanted to talk about work and basic income: «We have to work for the reduction of working hours. We also talked about it with European Commissioner Schmit: studies and practical applications now show that when working time is reduced, productivity and quality increase», he said at the end of the meeting at the CNA in Como. The reduction in working time, together with other battles dear to the M5S (minimum wage, fight against precariousness), are part, says Conte, “of an overall vision of the labor market that we need, but we need a courageous government that creates prospects for new employment and new investments.

And on the rdc: «Every time some facilitation is introduced there will be some crafty person who takes advantage of it. The income sneaks were less than 1%, a negligible percentage. There is a problem of undeclared work but this government, by virtue of a toxic narrative, has intervened with a precise objective: the war on the poor », he added.

And again addressing the government, he returned to the theme of autonomy: «Unfortunately, a perverse mechanism is being created. There are regional elections and it was necessary to give credit to the League ». According to the former prime minister, the choice should be attributed to “a Prime Minister who wants to be a patriot but sells off the unity of the country to pay an electoral duty to a colleague of the majority”.

Especially since for Conte, the urgent issues are others: «The 41 bis must be maintained as a life sentence, they are fundamental pillars against the mafia and we don’t even touch wiretaps. Indeed, put an end to the chatter because I understand that Nordio has not been able to report abuses after the Bonafede decree of 2020, therefore since there have been no abuses there is no need to continue this crusade against wiretapping “.

Then he reiterated the pentastellata position on the Delmastro-Donzelli question: «We have never raised the tone and we accept the invitation to work with unity when there are intimidations and threats to the state. But the events that have taken place are another thing: Meloni must not be the party leader but the prime minister on that. He must invite his loyalists to resign, because they have proven to be superficial and inadequate for the roles they play ».

As for the Cospito case, the affair “must be referred to the competent authorities, managing the case with the utmost care taking into account the conditions of the prisoner”.