M5S breaks hesitations and converges on Orlando. Conte: the good of Liguria today is unity

The 5 Star Movement 'wholeheartedly' supports Andrea Orlando's candidacy for the leadership of the Liguria Region. 'We need to give Ligurian citizens back the chance to imagine a better future, marked by transparency and public ethics. A future, above all, where regional politics works for all citizens and not for a few friends,' says former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, ending days of procrastination. "The good of Liguria today means convergence on the profile of greater unity: we do not back down, we put ourselves at the service of citizens. Let us move forward together to win this important challenge'.

Luca Pirondini, a Pentastellist proposed by the Movement in recent days, sums up the meaning of the decisive negotiations. 'After numerous confrontations on common themes, Andrea Orlando's candidacy turned out to be the most shared option in the coalition'. A way to drive out splits over the nomination. "Both I and the entire M5S will support him wholeheartedly and loyally: we will continue to work in the common direction, day after day, to offer the people of Liguria a government that is up to the challenges awaiting the region."

To complete the picture of the (national) opposition, Liguria still lacks the support of Calenda, who asks to see the programmes and wants the realisation of all the major works planned, from the dam to the third pass, to be included without delay, even if some are still to be financed. And the position of Italia Viva has to be defined, which is not liked by the Pd's base, with Renzi's movement adumbrating a yes vote but at the moment has no intention of withdrawing support from the centre-right majority in Genoa.

With less than sixty days to go before the vote, already set for 27 and 28 October, barring a decree by the executive, with the so-called broad camp now reunited (at least in part) the onus remains on the centre-right to quickly indicate the person chosen to run to succeed Giovanni Toti, in an area inevitably marked by the corruption enquiry that involved Italy's first port, leading to the governor's resignation and early elections. Several names are on the table as possible candidates. Such as that of Edoardo Rixi (Lega) who, however, tends to rule out the hypothesis once again. The deputy minister's name is flanked by those of Noi Moderati deputy Ilaria Cavo, very loyal to Giovanni Toti, or of Genoa's deputy mayor Pietro Piciocchi, superassessor of the Bucci junta.