As announced in recent days Calenda presents his resignation from the National Directorate of the Democratic Party:
Dear Nicola, Dear Paolo,
please accept my resignation from the National Directorate of the Democratic Party.
It is a difficult and painful decision. In the last year and a half I have deeply felt that I belong to a party that, although divided and disorganized, I considered the last bastion of reform in Italy. This is why I joined the Democratic Party in the aftermath of the heaviest defeat ever suffered by the center-left.
In these months I have tried to make a contribution of ideas and political initiative in all ways. Together we fought in the May elections with courage and cohesion, reaching a result that was not taken for granted. It was an exciting experience. I discovered the tenacity of a community of voters and militants ready to fight for the rule of law and for Italy to remain among the great European countries; despite everything and often despite the Party.
From the day of my registration I have clarified that I would not have remained in the party in case of an agreement with the M5S. The reason is simple: I think that in democracy we can, and sometimes must, make agreements with those who have different ideas, but never with those who have opposite values. This is the case of the M5S. We have explained the reasons to our voters so many times that it is not worth repeating them here.
5 or 10 will not be generic points to change the nature of those born to dismantle representative democracy by riding on the worst anti-political impulses and scoundrels of this country. You know well that we have nothing in common with Grillo, Casaleggio and Di Maio. And it is significant that the negotiations did not even touch on the most controversial points: from ILVA to TAV, from Alitalia to Navigator. A program born of omissions of convenience is not a program, it is an excuse. I will avoid commenting on the decision to cede to the diktat of the M5S on Conte. Basically there is a perverse consistency in the choice of this name to guide a government born of transformation. In the last hours we have even come to accept a judgment on the Government agreement from a private digital platform that we have always rightly considered subversive and undemocratic.
In the last year I have often disagreed with Party decisions, but I have always respected the will of the majority. This case is different. By forming an alliance with the M5S, the Democratic Party gives up fighting for its ideas and values. And I can't accept that.
Until a few days ago I was just one of many thinking about it this way. Executives, parliamentarians, past and present leaders have for a long time reiterated the same promise: without me, never with 5S! Until thirty days ago, when the crisis of the Conte Government was already manifest. In the direction of the 26 July we unanimously voted for the report of the Secretary who clearly indicated in the elections the only path to follow in the event of the fall of the Executive. I quote your words Nicola: "I confirm that in the event of a government crisis, our position was, is and always will be the same: in the face of a crisis of these proportions, the main route is early elections, there is no hypothesis of alliance with the 5S ”.
Even in the land of amnesia of convenience and transformism, it is striking to think that that decision of the management was filed, a few hours after the informal opening of the Government crisis, with an interview that then determined a hasty turnaround of the whole our leadership. How can a party devoid of coherence, effective decision-making processes and respect for the determinations assumed by its own organs really be called such?
The Democratic Party can find a momentary unity on the basis of a convergence of individual interests, but it continues to be more interested in the settlement of accounts than to fight against its opponents. For this reason it is not possible to make the leaders of the various currents sit in the same room.
I wonder how you can think of facing a government with the 5S, in such a difficult time for the entire West, with a party already substantially in pieces and ready to explode at every moment with the manifestation of personal convenience.
And besides poisons, accusations, showgirls and attempts at delegitimization have not been lacking even during the very delicate negotiation for the formation of the Government. The conjunction of the weakness of the Democratic Party and the profound differences with the 5S will not bring anything good to Italy and to the party.
But it is not only for reasons of consistency or seriousness that we should have chosen the path of elections. Giving life to a government in this way with Grillo and Casaleggio means giving up doing politics. The progressives are defeated all over the world because in the last thirty years they have not seen the development of a deep rift between progress and society. Our future depends on the ability to understand what happened and to propose a vision and a project suited to the times. From here you can't escape and you can't escape.
Taking refuge in a comfortable and generic anti-fascist way to hide the lack of thought, the drive for self-preservation and the fear of losing, is a shortcut that will not serve to beat the right. On the contrary, it will increase its strength.
Undoubtedly the opening to the 5S has displaced Salvini forcing him to a hasty retreat. But it was only a "Pyrrhic victory" obtained at an exorbitant price. We put the M5S at the center of the scene - which is already growing again in the polls - and confirmed to the citizens the idea that we are ready to do anything to get back to the Government.
There is a profound error that the widespread satisfaction, even of a part of our base, hides for this agreement. It is the thought that the enemy to beat is always a person. An error already made with Berlusconi. Salvini is an empty container that is filled with the fears and concerns of the Italians. Until we take care of the content, we won't come back to winning. And what we have undertaken is not the right path.
Those who govern are punished even if they govern well, we know from recent experience. How can you hope that an executive with 5S will not produce a further loss of consent?
I hope to be wrong, for the good of the country and of the Party, and in the case I will be happy to admit it. It will certainly be a relief for me and for many of our voters to see party colleagues and past governments taking the place of the Northern League ministers. A temporary relief unfortunately. The political point will remain: how can a community poisoned by the conviction of not being able to win, first and foremost precisely by the leaders who should guide and motivate it, find its way back to victory? The confrontation with the sovranisti is just at the beginning, we are starting it with a disorderly and dishonorable escape.
It then makes its way back into the "ruling class" of this country - deep state, trade unions, industrial associations etc - the idea that Italian citizens should be preserved by themselves. We repeat the mistakes that caused the Italian crisis. The same attitude is shown by our European partners, who do not consider Italy to be an annoying problem to keep under control. But trying to defend democracy from democracy leads only to populism and the discredit of democratic institutions. Italians must be able to choose and then confront the effects of their choices. Without awareness and responsibility we will not dismantle the alibis that sovereigns feed on.
The elections would have been a difficult challenge. A right-wing government certainly appeared to be the most likely outcome. Most likely, but certainly not. We have seen in other European countries how the victory of the right, given in the polls, was later denied in the polls. It would have been a good fight. We would call serious mobilization Italy, one that works, produces, studies and struggles. From that challenge we would have come out however stronger and more cohesive.
I know you share these reflections. We have talked about it many times. And I understand the very difficult conditions in which you found yourself acting. Also for this reason I remained silent until the opening of the consultations. But I cannot pretend not to see the responsibility that you have assumed by renouncing to lead the party in the direction you considered right for fear of losing it.
I leave a leadership that I no longer feel a part of, not a community that I am proud to represent. The 280.000 people who gave me their preference vote in the European elections knew perfectly well how I would behave in the event of an agreement with 5S. I owe them consistency first.
I will work in Europe in the SeD group, while in Italy I will strengthen SiamoEuropei to give a home to those who want to produce concrete ideas for a liberal-progressive democracy suitable for harsher times and are not afraid of confrontation with the sovranisti. I will try to mobilize new forces. The lack of general decorum of the actors of this crisis clearly shows that there is an urgent need to call a new ruling class to the commitment.
The elections will come. You've only pushed them a few meters further. When you are ready to fight, we will be on the same side again.
With friendship
This is a further sign that the agreement between PD and M5s has been reached and that Italy will therefore have a new yellow-red government.
Calenda would have kept his words spoken on the microphones of Radio Capital "I will be consistent, from the first day I joined the Democratic Party I said I would not stay if there was an agreement with the 5 stars. I will work to build a house for those who do not feel represented by this relationship with the 5 stars that is born badly. When the Democratic Party will want to fight again, I hope to find some people on the road. One can make deals with those who have different ideas but not with those who have different values. But does the Democratic Party realize that the 5 stars will submit the agreement to the Rousseau platform? Should we hang on to the vote of a private platform that we have always considered an aberration of democracy? Let's get our back straight, why do we have to run drooling after the 5 stars? "
Responding to a follower who asks him if he does not see the risk that the failure of the M5S-Pd negotiation leads to elections and the victory of Matteo Salvini, Calenda stated "As a democrat I am not afraid of elections. Trying to save democracy from democracy leads to dictatorship. Trying to do it through compromises on values leads to the strengthening of the right and discredit ".