In Sicily, the secretary of the PD has resigned. And for the Democrats, things are getting complicated ahead of the upcoming regional elections.

Resignation in an attempt to heal the rift and perhaps avoid any unpleasant surprises. Anthony Barbagallo, a Member of Parliament and, for the past seven years, regional secretary of the Sicilian Democratic Party, resigned two days ago in what he himself described as a ‘step aside’: in his letter, he hands back his mandate to Elly Schlein’s secretariat and admits that ‘reconciliation has not yet been achieved’. Carefully chosen words for a rift that has been ongoing in Sicily for months, even before the party congress became the subject of a ruling by the Civil Court of Palermo.

On Tuesday morning, in fact, the lists of witnesses had been submitted for the hearing on the appeals lodged by certain Democratic Party figures, who were alleging irregularities in the party conference procedure that culminated in Barbagallo’s re-election. With his resignation, the proceedings could be closed as the matter is no longer in dispute. The nature of the conflict explains why it was the candidate with the most votes who stepped down. At the party congress, Barbagallo is said to have won in seven out of nine regional federations: it can therefore be said that the party’s grassroots support lies with him. The group in the Sicilian Regional Assembly (Ars), however, appears divided: seven MPs opposed, one neutral and three in favour, according to sources close to the Sicilian PD. On one side is Schlein’s majority; on the other, a more moderate parliamentary group, which also includes the group leader, Michele Catanzaro. This is the crux of the paradox: a regional secretary who is in line with the national secretary, strong within the party’s grassroots but facing a lack of confidence from some quarters in the Palazzo dei Normanni.

In Rome, the reasoning is said to have been driven by electoral dynamics. The party is gearing up for a busy period, with national primaries as well as regional and local primaries in Palermo, and a battle over legal challenges at that stage would have been too costly. The Ars group was calling for an administrator, but this would have meant acknowledging Barbagallo’s defeat and, above all, overturning the line adopted at the party conference. The compromise apparently involved his resignation: he steps aside, but the party line remains.

The rest is a game of names, and everything is still up in the air. Sources close to the outgoing secretary speak of a three-person interim leadership, a steering committee to steer the party through to the elections: this could include Peppe Provenzano, a Member of the Chamber of Deputies; Barbagallo himself, who may be asked to return; and a third figure chosen by the Ars group. There is an emphasis on the adjective ‘collegial’ and the noun ‘commissionership’ is avoided, because appointing a commissioner would mean nullifying the results of the party congress. But there are those who have not given up on the idea of a commissioner, and in Palermo the names of the familiar figure Nico Stumpo and Marco Sarracino from Campania are being bandied about. Furthermore, according to the party’s constitution, there would appear to be only two options: a new secretary elected by the regional assembly – the convening of which was precisely what triggered the rift – or a commissioner to be ratified by the executive committee. No directorate, at least on paper.

Rome, for the time being, is speaking through Igor Taruffi, head of organisation at the national secretariat, who has promised the “most authoritative solution possible” in the coming days. An adjective that perhaps sits rather at odds with a body comprising just three people. Catanzaro, for his part, is maintaining the utmost discretion and leaving everything to a press release: “We echo Igor Taruffi’s words and stand ready to support the initiatives that the national secretariat will set out to usher in a new political phase.” 

The real issue, however, lies beyond the interim leadership. The stated aim is to be the leading party in the coalition, but the question that nobody is answering remains: who will be the candidate for President of the Sicilian Region? Matteo Renzi has already put forward the name of Pietro Bartolo, whilst the PD has yet to put forward a candidate, as has the Five Star Movement. On paper, the broad coalition should be aligned with Ismaele La Vardera, leader and candidate of the Controcorrente-Progetto Civico movement. The timetable allows for no further delays; meanwhile, the Sicilian PD has probably avoided having a commissioner appointed and has postponed its party conference.