"There is social opposition to the yellow-green government, let's transform it into political opposition."
Luigi de Magistris, the mayor of Naples, said this in an interview with Repubblica, relaunching a public appeal for a meeting in Rome on December 1st. The backdrop is an attempt to launch a "civic coalition" for the upcoming European elections, which would include—though it's said to be a backseat—the Italian Left, the PRC, and the Greens. De Magistris doesn't name names, but among the project's "friends" are Erri De Luca, Michela Murgia, Ilaria Cucchi, Mimmo Lucano, and Cecilia Strada. And Bernie Sanders, the socialist leader of the American left, is also ready to chime in from the US via live link. A national leap? "If you're the mayor of Naples, you already represent a point of reference; if anything, after such a long and important experience, we've decided to try to build a broad field with those who are in it, a democratic and popular front, which can unite all those experiences that have been fighting for years for rights, common goods, against the mafia, for sustainable development, against privatization and austerity." When asked why the word "left" never appears in his appeal, De Magistris replies: "The point is that for many years too many have used the term without translating it politically. I, on the other hand, believe that without using the word 'left,' I have achieved something in my city: breaking the system and ensuring government reliability." "Except for certain categories—fascists, racists, the corrupt, mafiosi, and thieves—we speak to everyone, starting from the assumption that the enemy cannot be another human being. We want an Italy built not on resentment but on solidarity," he explains, adding, regarding the government, "there is no parliamentary opposition, but there is a social one. We need to give that a voice. There is a vast political landscape ahead."
Article published on November 7, 2018 - 10:11 PM - Catello Coppola
