Renzi proposes Mario Calabresi as mayor of Milan to Leopolda

"I would very well see Mario Calabresi as mayor of Milan." This was reported by the leader of Italia Viva, Matteo Renzi, introducing the same journalist to Leopolda, during a debate in which Calabresi addressed some issues related to his book in a direct confrontation with Lisa Noya.

Calabresi's candidacy for mayor

Calabresi had anticipated his intention only a few days ago. “There are many months to go, but I'm here,” the journalist confirmed, returning to his willingness to run for mayor of Milan for the centre-left. Interviewed on Radio 24 by Alessandro Milan, to present the new book "The voices of others", Calabresi had reiterated his desire to commit to his city: "I'm interested in the path for Milan. It's not clear what path it will be, if there will be primaries, when they will be, the times and the ways. There are many months to go, but I'm there".

Renzi: "Deciding who leads the center-left is the last problem"

Renzi, during his speech, addressed various topics. Also speaking about the current government situation. "After four years of Meloni's government, families are poorer, people are leaving, there is less money in their pockets, bills and mortgages cost more, if the centre-left starts arguing and loses the elections they should be locked up. So we are the ones who say: let's worry about the problems of families and we'll leave the skirmishes between leaders aside. I'm in a centre-left which is the alternative to the centre-right". Renzi underlined the importance of ideas. "This is why at this moment I think that, before thinking about who will lead, who will decide the primaries, it is important to think about ideas - he added -. I want a reformist, guaranteeist centre-left, then it is clear that whoever has the most votes will lead. We will see if it will be Conte or if it will be others, but it is the least of the problems. We cannot start from who leads if we don't know where we are going". Again according to Renzi, "therefore the problem is not who is leading. After that, personally I am one of those who think that never before now has there been a need for great attention to the issues of guaranteeism, reformism, the living conditions of Italians, not the Conte-non-Conte chatter, which I personally believe is absolutely not important compared to the debate we are experiencing".

Relations with Conte

At Leopolda there was also talk of M5S but not only that. "Clint Eastwood said: 'If you want a guarantee, buy a toaster'. Politics isn't based on personal relationships, it's done on the basis of ideas. So I say to Conte and everyone else: if you want to be on substantive discussions, we're here. Maybe with a German-style contract. Continuing to argue in the center-left means giving the country to Meloni and giving the Quirinale to Meloni." Here, then, is a reference to the Quirinale. "I will not be complicit in the fact that Giorgia Meloni goes to the Quirinale - he added -. I brought Sergio Mattarella to the Quirinale, I did not bring Matteo Salvini to the Quirinale. So I don't need to give guarantees: I need to bring the votes into a bet that has clear stakes for everyone, and therefore that no one can afford to go beyond these stakes".

Ukraine and the Middle East

Renzi's statements then also referred to current events and world conflicts. "Naturally on Ukraine, as on the Middle East, as on Cuba, we will find a shared position as a center-left that starts from the role of Europe", assured the leader of Italia Viva on the second day of the Stazione Leopolda in Florence. Renzi said he "totally" agreed with the phrase said shortly before from the stage by Pier Ferdinando Casini "Ukraine does not sell itself, but defends itself". "Unfortunately - he continued - many young people die in Ukraine and we must not use this topic for internal purposes. Hundreds of thousands of people are dying, it's a real thing, it's a real tragedy".