Unity rediscovered, after difficult months with endless back and forth and vitriolic words, the centre-left looks ahead and opens the electoral campaign for municipal elections of June 8-9. Leading the progressive coalition is Enzo Romeowell-known professional from Vibo and first president of the Province of Vibo Valentia in 1995. Always a moderate figure in the center area, former provincial president of the Democratic Party, Romeo is the figure chosen by the coalition to try to return to the government of the city after 14 years consecutive center-right governments.
The progressive coalition
In the courtyard of Palazzo Gagliardi there are the big names in regional politics: the senator of the Democratic Party Nicola Irto, the deputies of the M5S Anna Laura Orrico and Riccardo Tucci, regional councilors of the Dem, the regional secretary of the Italian Left, Fernando Pignataro, local administrators, exponents of the civil society. And, therefore, after a bitter confrontation that lasted from September to today with a lack of common vision and with the Cinquestelle, above all, who opposed Romeo’s candidacy, in the end the choice to turn to the only candidate capable of assuming responsibility and putting our face to a challenge that is nevertheless extremely difficult to face in a city that has historically been centre-right. Supporting Romeo’s battle are the Democratic Party, the Cinquestelle Movement, the Italian Left, the Progressives of the regional councilor Antonio Lo Schiavo and the two civic movements representing the same candidate for mayor and who in recent months have worked long and meticulously on taking the field of candidate for mayor by focusing on the priorities to be addressed and the programmatic choices to be defined in the context of the tiring and arduous electoral campaign to be faced: the two movements are the Centro Studi Progetto Vibo coordinated by Giampiero Minniti and Cultura Sociale coordinated by Ida Puntoriero. But as Romeo himself remarked, the coalition is still open to those political and civic forces that intend to embrace the recipe of the candidate representing the centre-left.
Romeo: “The people of Vibo have the possibility of choosing a different path”
Calm, but resolute. Determined to carry forward his idea of administration with determination, Romeo prepares to face the electoral campaign: “The people of Vibo – says Romeo – have the possibility of choosing a different path. That of competence, transparency, abandonment of customers. We have followed a path that allowed us to read, to define, to listen to the needs of this city. We cannot think of managing the city day by day: we have seen so much approximation. We must plan to determine the development of this city by sharing the path with the healthy strengths of this city. Economic development of the city is needed and this is the aspect that is closest to my heart.”
Romeo ready to “fish” for consensus in the moderate electorate and the role of Social Humanism
Enzo Romeo does not hide and is ready to gather support even among the moderate center-right electorate: “I am convinced that my figure resonates deeply with the moderate electorate and also among the center-right people because I believe I have always been a person who has given mainly space to development and projects, never to personal matters or shop interests”. On Social Humanism: “The doors are open to everyone, for anyone who wants to create the conditions for a change in this city”.
The frictions with the M5S
The Five Star MP Riccardo Tucci never digested Romeo’s candidacy and used fiery words during the press conference last December in which the rift seemed truly irreparable. But now things seem to have gone in the right direction: “There were some political disagreements, but the personal relationship with Tucci never deteriorated. Some terms were used that I didn’t like, but they are terms that I was able to to understand why they came from the need to maintain a party line. This line has changed, there is a profound opening of the M5S and I hope that even within the headquarters of the Five Star Movement there can be that democratic confrontation that they and I want “.