Occhiuto: no new current in Forza Italia, but a liberal shake-up is needed

'This is not an initiative against someone (read Antonio Tajani) but for a more ambitious and courageous centre-right. We want to give a liberal shake-up'. And again: between now and the Forza Italia congress at the beginning of 2027 'a year and a half is missing and in a year and a half a lot of things happen', so today 'a candidature of mine is not on the agenda'. The president of Calabria and deputy secretary Roberto Occhiuto is the guest of honour at the conference 'In libertà, pensieri liberali per l'Italia' ('In freedom, liberal thoughts for Italy') organised at Palazzo Grazioli, in what was once the Cavaliere's Roman residence, by former FI deputy Andrea Ruggieri. The main themes of economic policy from a liberal perspective were at the centre. Several leading representatives of the business world took turns, from Tim CEO Pietro Labriola (delegate for digital transition of Confindustria), to A2A group CEO Renato Mazzoncini, to Uber vice president Tony West (in video message). Also present in a packed conference hall of the Foreign Press (among others) were Azzurri MPs Dalla Chiesa, Francesco Paolo Sisto, Licia Ronzulli, Claudio Lotito and Alessandro Cattaneo

The timing of the call for renewal, put forward by Pier Silvio Berlusconi a few days ago ("new faces are needed in Forza Italia"), and the choice that immediately appeared as highly symbolic of the venue in which to organise the event, have inevitably fuelled the narrative of a new current in sight among the Azzurri. Or even of an ascent to leadership. But Occhiuto denies it. Although he clearly lets it be understood that today the foundations have in fact been laid for something new in the future of Forza Italia. 'No one had any intention of organising this conference to make a current, these are dusty things that belong to the past. Only the PD, among the most masochistic parties in Italian history, has currents. We want to give a liberal shake to the centre-right to strengthen its liberal wing,' he assures.

As for the leadership of the party, 'a candidature of mine at the 2027 congress is not on the agenda'. And again: 'Tajani has performed an extraordinary function, we are all grateful to him, he has allowed Forza Italia to survive when no one would have bet on it. Tajani, like me and others, set himself the goal of taking Forza Italia to 20 per cent" But Forza Italia today "is floating between 8 and 9 per cent. I would like to use my experience and my courage to help Tajani and Forza Italia hit the target,' he stresses.

What about new faces? "They don't have to be from politics. My hope is that the party can open up to entrepreneurs, journalists, people who may not have worked in politics but who can say and do a lot in politics,' Occhiuto adds. As for the role of the Berlusconi family, 'I often meet and talk to Marina Berlusconi, who has nothing to do with this initiative: I wanted this initiative, I told her about it, but the responsibility is exclusively mine'.

Not just faces, but also new ideas and a renewed programme, demanded Berlusconi junior in agreement with his sister Marina. And Occhiuto's words go in this direction. The challenge is on contents. Also because in the centre-right, apart from Meloni's 'excellent work', 'there is not much other ferment'. Yet, 'there is a huge space for a party that wants to take up the liberal tradition and update it and interpret a new liberal thought. We have the task, the good fortune indeed, of being able to finish what Silvio Berlusconi started in this country,' Occhiuto points out.