At the Bologna Unity party, which begins in a week with the inauguration of the secretary of the Democratic Party, Enrico Letta, it will be possible to talk about politics, but it will not be possible to campaign. It is one of the paradoxes of this late summer pre-vote that overturns the seasons of politics: the traditional late-Augustan appointments, as well as the Cl Meeting in Rimini which begins on Saturday and which will see the parade of leaders and candidates from all coalitions , will not be the occasions for the resumption of the season after the summer break, but will fall in the middle of the period leading to the vote of the policies. The most delicate case is that of the feast of the Unity of Bologna which will take place without flags and without symbols of the Democratic Party. The question had been raised by the Brothers of Italy who had also presented a complaint to the prefect.
The feast of the Unity of Bologna is, in fact, together with that of Modena, the largest remaining: even when they do not have the title of national holiday (which this year is in Palermo) they still have a dimension and a presence of guests that makes them a central appointment for the life of the Democratic Party. While the feast of Modena takes place on a private space, that of Bologna, the traditional area of Parco Nord, on the outskirts of the city, is public, albeit given in concession to a private company (but with a majority of public capital) such as Bologna Fairs. A space which, however, is not included among those indicated by the Municipality of Bologna for the electoral campaign. «It is a violation of the rules – says the deputy of the Brothers of Italy Galeazzo Bignami who in recent weeks presented an exhibit in the prefecture – it is a public space that is given in concession to a party without respecting the rules of the electoral campaign. In Bologna the rules apply to everyone, but for the Democratic Party they are less and less valid ».
The prefect Attilio Visconti, in an interview with Resto del Carlino, however, outlined a solution in compliance with the rules. «We must respect the law – he said – I cannot give other indications, if not to ensure that electoral campaigns are not carried out in improper contexts. There must therefore be no posters and placards or calls to vote. Instead, we can talk about something else. The organizers of the unity party can do whatever they want, except for the election campaign ». So the Democratic Party has adapted: as explained by the head of the party Lele Roveri there will be no flags or party symbols, but the party will have the usual soul and the usual format: tagliatelle and political debates, confrontations open to society and tortellini. Obviously it will be difficult to pretend that the elections are not there, but some stakes will have to be respected.
»We intended – says Stefano Vaccari, head of organization of the Democratic Party – to have the party even before the election campaign. We will respect the rules for parties in public areas. But no one forbids us to have the party and that our candidates participate in it. The participants will all be committed to supporting the Democratic Party and beating the right, even without the party symbol on the billboards. Because we are serious and responsible people, certainly sorry … ».