For the past two months, Schlein and Conte have been ignoring the scientists’ appeal against the shutdown of power stations

Following the minimum wage, the energy transition – "with a strong focus on renewable energy" – is one of the few key issues on which the broad coalition is seeking and hoping to establish a minimum common programme as soon as possible. Yet neither of the two aspiring coalition leaders – PD Secretary Elly Schlein and M5S President Giuseppe Conte – has ever replied to a letter sent in mid-May to the leaders of all centre-left parties – in addition to them, it was also sent to Nicola Fratoianni, Angelo Bonelli, Matteo Renzi and Riccardo Magi – by over a hundred scientists, researchers and environmental activists. The letter called on the leaders to put an end to "a priori ‘no’s’, based on irrational fears or the defence of immediate, short-term consensus", which mean that the regions led by the broad coalition are the ones lagging furthest behind on the renewable energy installation targets set out in the Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan (Pniec). According to the scientists and researchers, one region in particular is in the firing line: Sardinia. 

The region is led by the former vice-president of the M5S, Alessandra Todde. The ‘Madonna del Campo Largo’ has become the number one enemy of renewable energy on the island, complete with appeals to the Constitutional Court and the Council of State. Perhaps this is why, almost two and a half months after the appeal letter was sent, there has been no sign of life from either the Nazareno or Via di Campo Marzio. It must be said, however, that these silences have had slightly different nuances. No response whatsoever has come from Giuseppe Conte or the Movement’s headquarters. With the Democrats, on the other hand, there has been some limited dialogue. It was Annalisa Corrado, a PD MEP and head of the secretariat’s Environment department, who spoke to the researchers; in this instance, however, she was acting as Schlein’s schedule coordinator. Corrado, in fact, rather than meeting or responding to the initiators of the appeal, merely repeated several times, not without a certain degree of embarrassment: “We’re trying to find a slot in Elly’s diary.” And if it is so difficult to find one for an issue considered such a priority by the party leadership, we shudder to think what the situation is like for everything else.

Unlike the PD and the M5S, however, both AVS, Più Europa and Italia Viva responded, agreeing with the scientists’ views. The Bonelli & Fratoianni duo were quick to respond: “Nicola and I, on behalf of AVS, fully endorse the appeal and are available for a meeting,” replied the leader of the green wing of the ‘Cocomero’ alliance in an email. A few days later, both he and Fratoianni joined a webinar from the Transatlantico Hall in Montecitorio to discuss the matter with the organisers. Raffaela Paita, the group leader for Italia Viva in the Senate, did the same. Riccardo Magi also responded swiftly to the scientists’ request. "The energy transition is achieved through concrete government action – sometimes complex, but never to be postponed. Seeing progressive local councillors indiscriminately blocking renewable energy projects is a profound contradiction. It is a short-circuit that we must resolve," he wrote. A few days later, the initiators of the appeal met with the president of Più Europa, Matteo Hallissey.

Magi’s words clearly highlight the embarrassment faced by the PD and the 5S. Both Più Europa and AVS have been condemning Todde’s decisions in Sardinia for months (and, moreover, they have no other regional presidents in their ranks who are lagging behind with the installation of power plants, from Umbria to Tuscany). Whilst the PD and 5S, faced with the glaring contradiction between their announcements and the decisions of the Sardinian president – who, having blocked the installations, as reported a few days ago, now also wants to halt the construction of storage facilities – after all, what use would gigantic batteries for storing surplus energy be if you do not build the wind and solar power plants that are supposed to generate that energy? – they merely shrug their shoulders at most.

Beppe Grillo must also have noticed the 5S’s embarrassment. The founder of the M5S, who wants the party symbol back from Conte and seizes on any pretext to attack the man who snatched his creation from him, yesterday published an article on his blog criticising those who are putting the brakes on renewables ‘to protect the landscape’. In short, against the Todde Model. Using a brutal but effective metaphor, Grillo wrote: “No one objects to fire extinguishers in museums: they clash with 16th-century paintings and historic buildings, but we accept them because they protect works of art and people. Why, then, should wind turbines – which protect our future – ‘mar’ the landscape?”