De Santis new secretary of the Pd Minerva’s presidency is a riddle

CHEAT The regional congress of the Democratic Party has fallen on an inclined plane. Everything is moving for Domenico De Santis, deputy head of cabinet in the Region, to be the new secretary of the Democratic Party. Two crucial steps: the meeting and the agreement of Michele Emiliano and Antonio Decaro on Saturday so that the game could end on the name of De Santis or, alternatively, on that of the mayor of Gallipoli, Stefano Minerva. An agreement entirely internal to the Bonaccini area, apparently the majority in Puglia, which fell the burden of making a proposal so that a unitary congress can be celebrated with the other components: the Schlein area, the Cuperlo area and the Article 1 group. The intense work carried out between Sunday and Monday did the rest. Minerva has given up on running because in order to run he would have had to resign from the position of president of the Province of Lecce, to which he was elected a few months ago. There was no way to obtain a derogation from the national statute, perhaps only possible under exceptional conditions (for example if he were the only one available to be secretary: that was not the case).

Minerva had been indicated by Emiliano in recent weeks, but this does not mean that the governor does not like De Santis, his close collaborator and deputy head of cabinet in the Region. Decaro, with no real challengers to oppose, he agreed for him to choose between two people he esteems. He obtained permission to be consulted before the decision: relations with Emiliano partially relaxed. The three candidates for the position met in Bari on Tuesday afternoon: De Santis, Minerva and the regional group leader Filippo Caracciolo. The latter had already given up in recent days, now he says this: We must all be concentrated on uniting and strengthening the Democratic Party to make it once again the party of the people. After the mini-summit, and waiting to consult the other components, a precise orientation seemed to be consolidating: with the secretariat to De Santis from Bari, it was thought to assign the presidency to Minerva from Lecce, also so as to silence the requests arriving from Salento. As the hours passed, the tandem was downgraded to pure hypothesis: Minerva may not be the next president of the Democratic Party. The president is elected by the assembly at the end of the congress, says De Santis at the end of the consultations. But the non-formal point, of substance. The Schlein area has claimed roles and visibility. We want to bring to the attention of the secretary candidate – says Titti De Simone, who is De Santis’s colleague in the Region – the need to rebuild the Apulian party. Secondly, the strong drive for participation aroused by Schlein, which has mobilized many people in Puglia, deserves to be highlighted in the top management bodies. It means, in simple terms, the deputy vicarious secretariat and perhaps also the presidency. Furthermore, the same area Schlein requests that the non-Bari territories be represented. A role, in this key, could be played by Lucia Parchitelli from Bari, Debora Ciliento from Trania, and Paolo Campo from Foggia. For the Cuperlo area (represented in consultation by Leo Palmisano and Luigi Quaranta) it is essential that the good intentions expressed in these hours by De Santis, in terms of renewal, are publicly expressed. Also from the Cuperlo area came the request to put his hand on the regional statute. De Santis promises to listen to everyone and guarantees that Minerva will in any case be assured a role of visibility. Applications must be submitted by Friday 27: for the regional and provincial secretariats. De Santis’ consultations will continue on Wednesday.