Grillo-Conte clash on the future of the M5s. The Guarantor: Constituent? I am the guardian of values. The leader: let our community decide

The constituent assembly of the 5 Star Movement, announced by Giuseppe Conte in the aftermath of the European elections debacle, is approaching. And the clash between the Pentastellist president and Beppe Grillo, the guarantor, has become heated. The exchange of barbs, this time, is precisely on the method and the stages of the constituent process desired by Conte. The vitriolic repartee takes place with the oldest of instruments: the letter. The first is written by the founder to the leader. Grillo reproaches Conte for not having involved him in the decision to call the assembly. Of having ignored his request to discuss it 'in a small group of our own'. Conte, in his reply, retorts that the decision on the assembly is up to the community and not to small fireplaces. It is the showdown, after weeks of tension, even if the tone in form remains one of mutual respect.

'We have never spoken' about the assembly, Grillo wrote to Conte, 'but as guarantor, I am the guardian of the Movement's values and we should at least discuss them first'. The founder reportedly asked the leader for some moments of discussion in a 'small group of our own' to relaunch the Movement's issues after the 'consensus crisis'. 'Every decision cannot but be taken in respect of the Movement's values,' Grillo points out, who wants to strengthen his role.

Grillo, in his letter, speaks of the need to return to a few distinctive programme points, whereas today the original five stars 'have become a firmament that may be beautiful, but whose stars appear indistinguishable from one another'. Peace, protection of the weakest, but also issues 'that are not so ecumenical' such as an ecological and digital transition and a policy that starts with the citizens. Grillo himself asked for the letter to be made public, also to 'dispel our alleged differences'.

But the wall to wall is evident. Conte responds in kind. His is an outright no to the guarantor's demands. 'I cannot accept your proposal to discuss in advance the topics to be submitted to the Constituent Assembly,' the president writes to Grillo. "Imagining that you and I alone,' he continues, 'or together with "a small group of our own", should proceed to identify and discuss topics to be submitted to the Assembly, would mean arrogating to ourselves the choice of indicating the topics on which the Assembly is legitimised to pronounce, assuming that with respect to all the others it lacks legitimacy. Let our Community question itself about its own future'. Conte refers to the National Council meeting to be held next week, which will define the steps and details of the constitution-making process. 'As soon as we have the final 'guide' I will inform you promptly,' the president closes. Who does not shy away from removing a few pebbles from his shoes when he recalls the M5s' choice to support the Draghi government. A choice that 'hurt us a lot, let's not dwell on a past that does not return'.

The undercurrent clash has been going on for some time. 'It is a historic moment, I met Conte yesterday, he made me a little tender. He took more votes from Berlusconi when he was dead than he did when he was alive,' said Beppe Grillo on 18 June in his show 'I am another' in Fiesole (Florence), the day after a face-to-face meeting at the Forum hotel in Rome after the European elections, which recorded a very disappointing election result for the movement (9.9%). 'It is no longer the time to shout,' he remarked, 'this is Conte's time, he is a moderate person. The Movement we made is perhaps no more, they say maybe we are vaporised, maybe that is the right word'. On that occasion too, the M5s guarantor wanted to claim his irreplaceability in the Movement. 'I don't know with Conte how it will end, he must understand that I am essential. Casaleggio and I were different temperaments, we bickered several times a day but we created a wonderful thing,' Grillo added.