MILAN. First the programs and then the candidates. This is the concept repeated several times by the President of the M5s, Giuseppe Conte, who spoke today in connection with the press conference at Palazzo Pirelli with the regional councilors of the 5 Star Movement. He does not speak of official support for the candidacy of Pierfrancesco Majorino, a name indicated by the centre-left, but «if the Democratic Party wants to demonstrate that it has treasured past mistakes, we are here. If you want to sit at the discussion table, we are available, here as elsewhere, but we must do it with criteria and method».
Conte specifies that he does not know Majorino directly but also adds that he discussed it with the directors: «I asked for information and I was given references from a person in a position to be able to share a large part of our principles and values» but «we don’t want to discuss which is the best interpreter before having defined what the program is. We are not anyone’s branch, we are not willing to label choices made independently by others». What is certain is that «to achieve a serious and solid, but above all useful, proposal, we cannot mix the teams and run after Letizia Moratti’s candidacy – Conte specifies – I don’t like talking about individual candidates but the strength of centre-right with centre-right candidates”. The program therefore remains at the center and is illustrated in five points by the regional coordinator Dario Violi: health, environment, infrastructure, work and agriculture are the pillars of the proposal that the M5s presents to the Lombard voters called to vote in a few months.
In any case, opening up to dialogue with the other political forces will not include «lower compromises» underlines Conte because «we do not intend to negotiate our values and principles. Our attitude does not change. The programs come first and then we will discuss the candidates who could be the best interpreters of them» at the moment the question of the candidate «is to be set aside».
Shortly after the conclusion of the Milanese press conference, Majorino replied to Conte’s words: «From the 5-star Movement comes a good contribution in terms of content and a fair will to discuss issues before people. Honestly, I think it’s a good approach.”