Reggio Emilia – No progress has been made toward leading the center-left, much less the ambition of assuming the role of "unifier." Twenty-four hours after Matteo Renzi, from the stage at the Festa dell'Unità, suggested a mayor leading the moderate front of the broad camp, Gaetano Manfredi clears up any misunderstandings. His political compass, he reiterates without hesitation, remains Palazzo San Giacomo.
The reply to Renzi and the weight of the mandate
"If there's a hand to be given, I've always said I'd lend a hand, but I'm the mayor of Naples, and that's my fundamental belief," the Neapolitan tricolor sash clarifies. Faced with yet another reiteration of the label "area mediator," the former minister shrugs: "This phrase has been haunting me for months, but I don't know what people think. My priority remains my commitment to the city."
Regarding the center's perimeter and rumors suggesting it would be at the national table, Manfredi dismisses the current debate as premature: "Right now, there's no table, no one sitting at it, and it's unclear who should be represented. We're still talking about virtual politics. When a concrete plan is in place, we'll evaluate what to do, knowing that generosity is needed, and no one should put themselves at the center of their own destiny."
The rejection of alchemy and the voice of the territories
The denial becomes even more clear-cut regarding internal consultations. Manfredi rules out any involvement in the campaign: "Everyone's talking about me behind my back. I'm absolutely not running in the primaries because I've made a solemn commitment to the people of Naples and I intend to keep it to the fullest."
More than top-level geometries, the mayor emphasizes the pragmatic value of local government: "If I have to contribute, I'll bring the voice and ideas of the mayors, who are neither centrist nor left-wing, but belong to the citizens. Honestly, I'm not interested in the political alchemy of government."
The alarm over the coalition's unity
The reflection finally touches on the method of selecting the future progressive leadership. The polling system is only supported if it preserves cohesion: "Primaries are an exercise in democracy, and they're welcome if they help us cohere better. But if they're meant to turn into an internal settling of scores, I won't just be against it: I won't even vote."
The ultimate goal, Manfredi concludes, must remain electoral competition against the majority: "I trust in the common sense of our leaders to identify the strongest figure. The primaries are merely a means to achieve the goal that truly matters: winning the elections and preventing the right from electing the President of the Republic."
