Pastorella (Azione): “I would have liked Renzi to be part of the alliance too. But we must remain centrist.”

"The issue of the political centre saddens me; mistakes have been made. I would have liked Italia Viva to be part of the alliance too." Giulia Pastorella, MP and vice-president of Azione, speaks to Il Foglio about the upheavals that have affected the third-way coalition in recent days, starting with the Liberal Democrat Luigi Marattin’s move towards the centre-right. "We must distinguish between announcements and long-term strategy. However,” says the MP, “divisions do not bode well in terms of how voters perceive the situation; they do not understand why groups that fundamentally hold the same position might potentially find themselves on different sides.”

The Liberal Democratic Party’s share of the vote would help the centre-right secure the majority bonus provided for under the new electoral law. “To counter the ‘tactical voting’ argument, we really need to demonstrate solidity, a firm stance that stands out from the two main blocs,” says Pastorella. However, this is proving difficult to achieve within the centre as a whole. "It saddens me that precious time is being wasted on these half-measures. The parties in our political area are multiplying rather than consolidating, which would perhaps be the best strategy for forming that alternative bloc." Within this bloc, Pastorella would have liked to see many more forces besides Azione and Spazio Pubblico, Pina Picierno’s movement. "I have an excellent relationship with her; that alliance seems to be moving towards consolidation, but personally I would have loved to have Luigi Marattin, Ora!, Più Europa and even Italia Viva by our side as well – which at the moment is almost blasphemy within our party," says Pastorella. "Those who think the same way, those who vote the same way, should logically stand together in the elections."

Something, however, went wrong. “I believe the mistake was to raise too many expectations, constantly talking about unification – often through events and press statements – rather than working behind the scenes on the programmes.” At a regional level, the forces of the third pole are managing to coexist, united. “I’m thinking, for example, of Venezia Giulia and Campania, two very different regions where collaboration is taking place. At national level, I would have hoped for more diplomacy and fewer press statements.” Even on Carlo Calenda’s part? “On everyone’s part, because it seems that the way all political leaders interact is mainly through press releases or statements, but voters struggle to understand these public dialogues as they do not see any concrete results.”

When it comes to rifts within the centre, however, the number one suspect is always the leader of Azione. Marattin has accused him (both subtly and more emphatically) of being the cause of every failed alliance between the party and other centrist forces, not to mention the constant mutual attacks with Renzi’s supporters (who just today called him a ‘mythomaniac’). Maurizio Crozza has also poked fun at these issues, imitating him in a musical sketch. “Now I’m leaving / I want to be alone / with my own list / without a single vote / I reject every alliance / don’t ask me why,” sings the comedian to the tune of Massimo Ranieri’s Perdere l’amore. Crozza’s portrayal of Calenda already envisions his post-election future: “I’ll have to go back to Ferrari as an intern”. Pastorella ‘liked’ the video of the performance, which Crozza reposted. “I enjoyed the singing performance,” he comments with a smile. “I find that there’s always a grain of truth in satire. That is to say, it really is difficult to bring the centre together.”

And yet, the secretary defends him. “He is doing everything humanly possible to carry on Azione’s campaigns. And, if the electoral law remains as it is, Azione has the right to be the unifying force within the alliance.” According to Youtrend polls, the party currently stands at 3.3 per cent (+0.1 compared to the previous survey), and Pastorella believes it should continue to hold its ground against Forza Italia, stubbornly maintaining its centrist stance. “Those who vote for us do so precisely because we offer an alternative to the two main blocs. If we were to align with one side or the other, those same figures would drop to zero.”