Attempts at an alliance between civic groups and the broad coalition. The initiative by Onorato and La Vardera in Agrigento

In Agrigento, the focus was more on Italy than on Sicily. The General Assembly of Controcorrente and Progetto Civico Italia, convened last Saturday and Sunday by Ismaele La Vardera, began as a regional showcase and concluded as a national project. Leading figures from the centre-left have highlighted a long-standing issue: namely, that the coalition’s three traditional ‘pillars’ – the Democratic Party, the Five Star Movement and the Greens and Left Alliance – may no longer be sufficient on their own to sustain an alternative to the right. A fourth pillar—or a crutch—is needed. And that pillar, according to those who put forward this theory on stage, is the civic movement led by Alessandro Onorato and Ismaele La Vardera.

“Civic engagement is a fundamental element,” said Onorato from the stage at the Hotel Kaos, “which enabled the centre-left to win in 80 per cent of municipalities; I believe it is a model worth exporting at national level too.” Progetto Civico Italia was founded in Rome, whilst Controcorrente was founded in Sicily by La Vardera: by joining forces, the two are not simply merging two regional civic movements, but are testing in Sicily – where the centre-left is historically weak and fragmented – whether a civic umbrella organisation can act as a national unifying force for the broad coalition, even before the polls open elsewhere. “Despite the extraordinary work of the broad coalition, those groups are in the minority; there is a multitude of people who want to bring a breath of fresh air,” added the Roman councillor, “and sound pragmatism: what we will do, within what timeframe and with what funding. We want to help the centre-left get Italy back on track and win the elections, without resorting to personality-driven politics.”

Onorato’s message was well received by national figures: in fact, the leaders of AVS, Angelo Bonelli and Nicola Fratoianni, and Giuseppe Conte of the M5S also spoke out. The former Prime Minister gave his endorsement to Progetto Civico, emphasising in particular its affinity with his movement because it is “structurally different from traditional parties”. He continued: “My interest in Progetto Civico is not contingent on the primaries, but stems from the fact that it is a new, grassroots movement which can mobilise non-voters and has potential, unlike Renzi’s party, which many view with suspicion.”

On the other hand, it is Onorato himself who says that an agreement with Renzi is not possible and that it is better for the coalition to go their separate ways. The only Renzi supporter to take part, the provincial coordinator for Agrigento, Roberta Lala, limited herself to saying that “to win, we must be united and share common values; we have the same desire to oust the right, and to do so we must stand united”.

Onorato is playing with his cards on the table. He asserts the autonomy of his political creation, stating, “if you join forces, there is a risk of losing your identity; instead, you need to compete under your own identity”, and he also takes a stand against potential rivals in the same centrist space: He even wishes Matteo Renzi “good luck if he wants to stand in the primaries”, whilst to Hallissey – caught up in the internal row within +Europa with Magi – he urges him “not to waste energy by siding with Calenda” because “there are no third ways; you’re either with or against the centre-right”. For the Roman councillor, the contest is a binary one: a single anti-Meloni (and Schifani) camp, with Progetto Civico within that camp holding its own negotiating weight, not merged with anyone else.

Roberto Gualtieri, Mayor of Rome and a declared supporter of Onorato’s project, spoke remotely and shifted the focus of the discussion more towards method than etiquette. “We are well aware that political parties cannot manage on their own these days. Change does not happen solely from the top down through legislation; it will never come about without civic participation.” He then cited the Rome City Council as a real-world example of that approach and added that Onorato himself had “pushed hard” for this.

The choice of Agrigento as the base for giving a clear identity to the new Progetto Civico-Controcorrente alliance is no coincidence: in the last local elections, the ‘City of Temples’ was wrested from the centre-right – which had historically been the winning side – and Michele Sodano, a member of La Vardera’s movement, was elected as the first mayor of a provincial capital from that movement. The ‘Agrigento model’, mentioned and promoted on several occasions during the general assembly, is the blueprint to be rolled out to regional and national government. “There is an ongoing and equal dialogue with the PD and M5S; there are differing visions,” said the former Iena presenter on Saturday, “but the aim is to build a united front. We are ready to take the Agrigento model to the regional level as well, but it requires everyone’s commitment. And I gather from these past two days that this commitment is there, clear and evident.” Hence the first stepping stone towards Rome and the strategic alliance with Onorato’s movement, a partnership that could bring Progetto Civico close to 1 per cent (according to the latest polls) at national level. Among the guests were the regional secretaries and coordinators of the broad coalition, who have taken up La Vardera’s challenge. “We have embarked on a process to build a broad and inclusive alternative; we have already demonstrated this in the recent local elections,” added Anthony Barbagallo, regional secretary of the Democratic Party. “We must recognise that united we win, even with political forces holding different ideas.” There was also a response from the Five Star Movement, as expressed by its secretary, Nuccio Di Paola: “This coalition, formed in this way, can win at regional and national level.”