Di Maio: “Grillo’s party makes little sense”

Rome. “A political party? He won’t do it.” Among the bigwigs, both past and present, few believe him.

Luigi Di Maio does not get involved in petty squabbles. The former heir apparent is far beyond that, in the Persian Gulf, even though he eventually says: “The point isn’t that I’m beyond it, as you say… It’s that I’d wait for the interview with Fedez because I’m not convinced that Grillo will actually form a new party to stand in the general election.” Ah.

And yet the “Movimento Zero Stelle” would suggest otherwise. What do you suggest? “The abnormally high number of signatures, the regional organisation that doesn’t even exist…”. Will Grillo have to give up? “The point is that, in my view, a new party doesn’t make much sense. But we’ll wait and see, and comment after the interview”. We’ll be in touch soon.

And indeed, the issue raised by the former Foreign Secretary hits the nail on the head. And the point is quite clear to anyone keeping an eye on Giuseppe Conte’s manoeuvres. It is, in fact, the nightmare of endorsements. The bad dream that does not seem to trouble the former regulator but which, so to speak, is tormenting Alessandro Onorato. He has already been dubbed, by those in the Azione camp, ‘Conte’s satellite within the PD’ (although behind the operation is said to lie the other planet, or ‘Mangiafuoco’, Goffredo Bettini).

The issue, however, is that the current 2,000 signatures could become a mountain if Fratelli d’Italia’s amendment to the electoral law were to pass. In that case, they would rise to 6,000, further bolstering Di Maio’s objection. Conte is fighting to prevent this from happening. But whilst he battles over the ‘Onorato satellite’, he risks the ‘Grillo meteorite’ crashing down on him. For the former leader, 2,000 signatures would still be preferable to 6,000.

And yet, it was said, this scepticism is not limited to one man. Barbara Lezzi, on her ‘Beppe’, does not take a stand. Danilo Toninelli – who, more than anyone else, ought to know, as he is still in touch with him – appears not to have been involved. Today, he is interested in ‘mental health’ – he says – his ‘new life’s mission’ – and knows less than nothing about ‘Beppe’.

Let us therefore turn to those within the Movement who have always remained faithful to the party line. Chiara Appendino, who fears neither criticism (of Conte) nor politics, is unaware of ‘Zero Stelle’. When we speak to her, she reiterates – even more forcefully than her leader – her criticism of Renzi because ‘it’s not a question of vetoes,’ she says, ‘but of votes. And he’s making us lose them’. As for Grillo? Who knows.

Meanwhile, within the Movement, anxiety is once again being allayed by suspicions. The bigwigs (today’s lot) explain it roughly as follows: “He needs this mess to strengthen his case in court, now that the trial is starting”. In other words: it could just be a strategy. Perhaps. The fact is that when Grillo speaks – forget Mangiafuoco – the theatre reopens.