Angelo Chiorazzo doesn't give up and with his civic movement Basilicata Casa Comune continues the electoral campaign for the regional elections on 21 and 22 April.
With the Democratic Party and the Five Star Movement "dialogue is always open", but the Democrats and the Five Star Movement seem very close to agreeing on the name of Nicola Valluzzi, mayor of Castelmezzano, a small municipality in the province of Potenza.
"For me, united we win or lose but divided we don't even play the game", reiterated today the secretary of the Democratic Party, Elly Schlein, once again claiming the need for a wide field also for the Lucanian match.
Although, in reality, rumors give parts of the centre-left, in particular of Azione and Italia Viva, ready to be part of the lists in support of the outgoing governor, Vito Bardi (Forza Italia).
"The Lucanian left - said Bardi, who in 2019 won with 42.2% of the votes against the 33.1 of Carlo Trerotola (centre-left) and the 20.3 of Antonio Mattia (M5S) - as usual is divided on names, interests and seats. There is no proposal for Basilicata, a region that the left has always considered to be second-class".
Speaking of the centre-right, the coalition is ready to welcome Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to Potenza, who will be in the capital on Monday 25 March to sign the Cohesion Pacts.
The deadline for presenting the lists is set for 12pm on Saturday 23 March: in addition to the president of the council, the 20 members of the regional council must be elected.
Tight times, therefore, especially for the centre-left.
In the wide field, however, today seems to have provided the decisive acceleration.
The Roman negotiations, in fact, achieved the objective of having found a name, alternative to that of Chiorazzo, proposed by the national Democratic Party and accepted (albeit in a lukewarm manner) by the Movement: that of Valluzzi.
Mayor of Castelmezzano several times - a municipality of around 700 inhabitants, nestled in the Lucanian Dolomites and famous for the Flight of the Angel which unites it to Pietrapertosa via a steel wire - Valluzzi was also president of the Province of Potenza and an unelected candidate in Lucanian Assembly.
And last autumn he was among the first to focus on Chiorazzo's candidacy.
"Valluzzi - the entrepreneur replied to journalists - is unanimously recognized as one of the best administrators of this land", even if the founder of the Auxilium cooperative himself denied that he was the one who mentioned "names" to close the agreement with Pd and M5S.
Chiorazzo was even clearer when - on the sidelines of an initiative on gender inequality held in his electoral committee, open for months, in Potenza - he was asked if he was still in the running: "Of course", he replied , highlighting that "in recent months, while Basilicata Casa Comune has dealt with the problems of this land, the parties have been distracted".
For Chiorazzo, however, the agreement with the Pd and M5S is still possible: "If everyone is responsible - he underlined several times - the result will be achieved".
But it is now clear that, barring last-minute surprises, the party chaired by former prime minister Giuseppe Conte will not give the OK to his name.
"The veto of the Five Stars? Uncommentable", replied Chiorazzo, who, at this point, could also attempt a solo race against Bardi and Valluzzi (or another candidate chosen in the photo finish from the wide field).
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