Pd Congress, Decaro and the interrupted race: that’s why he said no to running for leadership

The games of nominations for the national secretariat of the Democratic Party are largely defined. And the mayor Antonio Decaro, of course, is out of it despite the pressures he continued to receive for a long time, from last summer until a few days ago. A push to play as a protagonist on the national scene: if not really to run for the secretariat, at least to support the leading candidate in a ticket. Along the lines of the Bonaccini-Nardella pairing and perhaps precisely to accompany the Emilia-Romagna governor on the southern slope. Decaro has chosen Bonaccini (for some time now) but has said no to being the protagonist of the race for leadership. interesting to wonder about the reasons for his refusal. There are four of them. The first is that Decaro has decided to focus on his candidacy for the presidency of the Region in 2025: he considers it a priority and intends to spend all his effort on that, without distractions. The goal is challenging and will be even more so in 2025, with the centre-right in government and its local representatives strongly committed to reconquering the region after 20 years. The second reason is so historical (and perhaps superstitious). It has never happened, so far, that a secretary of the Democratic Party has conquered a prominent position in local authorities from that role. If it ever happened the other way around. Matteo Renzi or Nicola Zingaretti have become leaders of the Democratic Party from their respective roles as mayor of Florence or president of Lazio. The third reason connected with the previous one. Anyone who runs for a monocratic institution (mayor or governor) under the current system knows that they have to rely on the loyal support of all components of the coalition. It is a question (in Puglia but also elsewhere) of dealing with the potential allies of the 5 Star Movement and with the civic lists. After the decline of the majority vocation (candidate for mayor or president always expressed by the Democratic Party) it becomes problematic to assume a highly characterized role from a political point of view. Representing the summit of a political force can represent a danger for those who, at the same time, have to take positions that are sometimes in conflict with the allies and then ask for their loyalty in Puglia for the regional elections. Nothing prevents it, of course, due to the temperament of Decarus not inclined towards polemic or dialectical confrontation. On the contrary, being at the top of the national Democratic Party would help a lot in the event that one competed in a proportional type election, with the symbols and the party list to vote for. As for the Europeans which, moreover, foresee an electoral college as large as the whole of the continental South. By linking the two elements of the reasoning, it can be deduced that Decaro seems uninterested in the 2024 European Championships, having turned all his aims to the Region. Fourth reason: Decaro considers himself effective in his ability to administer, much less in leading a party, as he told those who asked him about his choices. A sense of limitation which is not exactly a defect.

The newsletter of the Corriere del Mezzogiorno – Puglia

If you want to stay updated on the news of Puglia, subscribe for free to the Corriere del Mezzogiorno newsletter. It arrives every day directly in your inbox at 12. Just click here.