In an interview with Corriere della Sera on Saturday i Five stars they seemed suddenly caught in a ray of political reasonableness. While specifying that their group leader in the Senate speaks "in a personal capacity", Stefano Patuanelli, former Minister of Economic Development and then of Agriculture, openly declared that "it is necessary to reintroduce public funding to parties". An innovative and surprising position for a political force that was among the protagonists of the abolition of public funding carried out in 2013 by the Letta Government under pressure from the then secretary of the Democratic Party, Matteo Renzi. Stroking populism in the hope of stopping it has never been a good choice and it was the same ten years ago. Tangentopolis before and the Signs referendum they had pushed for the abolition of public money for parties but no one had ever answered an elementary question: does politics cost money or not and, if there is no public funding, who pays for it? Should we resign ourselves to considering it a hunting ground for the rich? And the fact that the family Berlusconi take on 90 million in debt Forza Italy does it teach something or not?
The sudden opening of Patuanelli gave hope that a taboo of the Five Stars was about to fall and the former Speaker of the Chamber, Pier Ferdinando Casini, was quick to argue that "Patuanelli's words are proof of the maturity of the Five Stars". Too bad it only lasted the space of one morning. Because the words of the grillino group leader sparked the revolt among the Five Star parliamentarians and yesterday the stainless Giuseppe Conte immediately took charge of denying Patuanelli by reiterating, in no uncertain terms, that "the position of the M5S has always been and remains contrary to the public funding of the parties". End of the game and Five Stars down from the tower.
