Beyond the PD, in the territory controlled by AVS, other political forces are in dialogue (and gaining ground)

Rome. This is the image that, for the past week, internal discussions within Rome’s centre-left have been metaphorically trying to decipher: here are Angelo Bonelli and Nicola Fratoianni smiling after their meeting with the Democratic Party mayor Roberto Gualtieri, ahead of the latter’s bid for a second term. The photograph speaks for itself: it signifies a fundamental dialogue on various issues – climate change, urban planning, property funds – whilst effectively ruling out the possibility that many in the ‘green’ camp had been entertaining: the candidacy of the environmentalist mayor ousted by the PD, namely Ignazio Marino, now an environmentalist MEP. But no: Avs will be part of Gualtieri’s campaign team. The dates are no coincidence: on Saturday the 7th, the mayor will officially launch his re-election campaign from the Auditorium in Via della Conciliazione, flanked by his team and volunteers from ‘Per Roma con Gualtieri’. But the strengthened agreement with AVS opens up new possibilities: in 2021, as those on the left of the PD point out, AVS did not exist, which is why they are now trying to gauge its potential support looking ahead. Still in the running, “in support of Gualtieri”, as Amedeo Ciaccheri, president of the 8th municipal district, puts it, is the Sinistra Civica Ecologista list, which stood in 2021 (among its promoters was Massimiliano Smeriglio, now Councillor for Culture and likely to succeed himself in the Executive Committee should Gualtieri secure a second term). There is also the M5S, now in dialogue with the Democratic Party mayor following the tough years of opposition under Virginia Raggi. And it is rumoured in the corridors that signals of goodwill have been sent from the M5S towards Ciaccheri and the entire group aligned with the Civic Ecologist Left. But Ciaccheri denies this: “Our stories run parallel, even though I agree with the M5S on issues of peace,” says the president of the 8th Municipal District, hoping that “solid support for Gualtieri” will also come from that quarter. Beyond the confines of the PD, therefore, forces that share many common points – starting with AVS and the civic groups, and the civic groups and the more conciliatory wing of the M5S – will find themselves having to form electoral lists (and the search for candidates has already begun). Will this lead to competition or convergence? “Watch who turns up to listen to Gualtieri on Saturday,” say the Capitoline soothsayers. Gualtieri has stated that he does not wish to act as the unifying figure for the broad coalition – a role many would like to see him play at national level. All eyes are therefore on the discussion session on the 7th (to talk things through, and perhaps even to gauge support).