"For the Regional elections, the Pd wants primaries and Cateno De Luca is one of our interlocutors," said Secretary Barbagallo.

First point: to choose the candidate governor of the center-left for the Region the Pd has as "first choice the primaries". Second: South calls North, the movement of Cateno De Luca, continues to be a dialogue partner with whom to engage in order to try to run in a single coalition against the center-right. Third: the progressive front in the upcoming Municipal Elections will present itself united in the five most populous municipalities called to vote on the island, namely Messina, Marsala, Agrigento, Augusta, and Termini.

This emerged from the regional leadership of the Pd that met this morning in Niscemi. A "necessary act - emphasizes the secretary Anthony Barbagallo - to demonstrate the closeness of the entire party, its leaders to the Niscemi community that is showing dignity and exceptional hard work, in an extraordinarily difficult moment".

Before taking stock of the path that will lead the Democrats to the electoral appointments, Barbagallo took the opportunity to strike a blow at the troubles of the Sicilian center-right. "Another pillar of Schifani's magic circle is collapsing - he says regarding the investigation by the Palermo Prosecutor's Office that sees former Health manager Salvatore Iacolino investigated for external competition to the mafia association - From the investigations, once again we see kickbacks in the departments, rigged tenders, and favors to the mafia. In short, the credibility of the regional government is now underground. This case highlights in all its gravity the Sicilian moral issue and raises further symptomatic questions of criminal conduct by the usual suspects".

From the investigation documents, the name of Duilio Alongi also emerges, although he is not under investigation: the manager whom Schifani appointed to head the technical task force managing all interventions following cyclone Harry. Alongi, along with the general director of the Infrastructure department Salvatore Lizzio, allegedly pressured another department manager Giancarlo Teresi to remain in office beyond retirement age. Teresi has been arrested in the same investigation that has engulfed Iacolino, accused of aggravated corruption for having favored Cosa Nostra and already facing a corruption trial, ignored by all political and administrative leaders in the Region's halls. "Based on the published wiretaps - Barbagallo attacks - it seems that Alongi played a decisive role in the extension of Teresi's service. Are we sure he is the right person to manage those substantial resources?"

According to the secretary, "we are witnessing a distorted search for consensus from those in positions of power. This is the true and only common thread that characterizes the Schifani government and the center-right, decimated by investigations, some of which are sensational like the one involving Cuffaro. The same managers, the same names, the same logic return. They make deals and do not care about the common good. And thus we see, as one example among many, the healthcare system bent to the most sordid private interests and petty dealings of the last elected officials. This is why we reiterate that Schifani must go home".

Then comes perhaps the most anticipated passage regarding the upcoming elections. "In recent months, the PD has taken the initiative - at the regional level - to bring together the political forces of the center-left, of the progressive camp. We have started discussing the upcoming administrative elections. And with great determination, we have managed to define a coalition that will present itself united in the five most populous municipalities voting, namely Messina, Marsala, Agrigento, Augusta, and Termini".

For Barbagallo, the center-left coalition must be "ever broader", to the point of including Cateno De Luca. "I continue to consider Sud chiama Nord a partner, both because it is demonstrating real opposition to Schifani and because there are some local realities that, even in these hours, like Ispica, are working on possible agreements as happened in the past in Carlentini and Licata." 

On the front of the regional elections, Ismaele La Vardera has already entered the field. But Barbagallo is now openly talking about primaries, a topic so far pushed forward by individual members of the Sicilian Democratic Party, but unpopular with the Five Star Movement. "The Pd - says the secretary - is the center of the coalition of the progressive camp. In view of the regional and political elections, we are called to increasingly define the contours of the coalition, which must be characterized by discontinuity in ideas and government proposals. Once the perimeter is defined, the method for choosing the presidential candidate will matter, which - he concludes - must be shared with the entire coalition. I reiterate that we are the Pd. And that the first method of choice we have in the statute is that of the primaries.