600 of them in Rome, at the Salone delle Colonne all’Eur, to baptize the party promoted by the former director of the Revenue Agency, Ernesto Maria Ruffini. An operational meeting to define the features of the new political force, which arises from the «Più Uno» committees, inspired by the experience of the Ulivo. And in fact Romano Prodi is following the initiative with interest.
The scenography is indicative, with the photos of the DC statesman Aldo Moro and the PCI secretary Enrico Berlinguer parading behind Ruffini during the opening speech of the day: the camp is that of the centre-left. How significant were the presences in the audience. Among the guests: the former minister and former M5s Vincenzo Spadafora, the vice-president of the Democratic Party Chiara Gribaudo, the president of the ACLI, Franco Manfredonia, the deputy Bruno Tabacci, the president of the La Pira association, Massimo La Pira.
The first national assembly of the «Plus One» committees ended with a goodbye. “Let’s meet in the spring – said Ruffini – to decide together where to take this project. A project of change and government for the country and for Europe”. That will be the moment in which the electoral campaign for the 2027 elections will start, when we will have to challenge Giorgia Meloni for the conquest of Palazzo Chigi. In the meantime, the center of the centre-left needs to be built. That space is already occupied by at least a couple of parties, Italia Viva and Azione. And various entities are working to play a role, from the “Civic Project” of Rome councilor Alessandro Onorato to Spadafora’s “Primavera” movement: “I am here to build a path together – said Spadafora – a path that is inclusive, open and inspired by progressive and centre-left values”. to confront each other without dividing ourselves by partisanship. Because the country we want to live in is the one that everyone feels is theirs and that everyone cares about. A divided country is a weaker, more fragile country where the right ends up winning, as it is better at radicalizing and is not interested in a community.” concluded Ruffini. “On the one hand there are those who feed a story based on fear. A story that only looks at and recognizes people’s fears. On the other side we would be there, if we want it, who believe that politics should not scare or raise walls, but open paths by looking forward and choosing hope.”