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We are a few months away from the next European elections (8 and 9 June 2024), and the electoral campaign is now in full swing. Twists and turns are expected, but there are already certainties, such as the candidature of the member of Parliament Nicola Procaccini, who is aiming to reaffirm his position.
The Latina press conference
At the beginning of February, the co-chairman of the ECR group started the new path from Latina; the candidacy presentation conference was attended, among others, by the party’s provincial coordinator, Senator Nicola Calandrini, as well as regional councillors Elena Palazzo and Vittorio Sambucci, and the mayor of Latina, Matilde Celentano. An event that precedes the most eagerly awaited one: the meeting set for 2 March at the D’Annunzio Theatre.
‘Now or never’ is the slogan that will accompany the election campaign. “I called this appointment ‘Now or never’ because – Procaccini explained to the Latina audience – I am certain that if we are good at affirming Fratelli d’Italia at the next European elections, it will mean that we have been good at affirming Italy in Europe”.
There are two goals in his sights: “To shift the balance of European politics towards the centre-right after decades in which it has been on the centre-left, and to succeed in putting Italy at the centre of the European Union, in a leadership position like never before. For too many years we did what Europe wanted and were never able to make it clear that Italy could aspire to a leading role in the European Union. Now it will depend on us and on how hungry we are to achieve an important result, and to do it starting from home”.
A concept that the political leader also reiterated as a guest on the television program Dimmi La Verità with Carlo Tarallo. “On June 8 and 9 the music should change. Shifting the centre of gravity of European politics to the right is probably an opportunity that will never happen again, and, in this, Italy can play a leading role like never before. Fortunately, it now has a much more stable government than, for example, Germany or France; it has a compact government that represents in Italy what should be in Europe as well”.
According to Procaccini, therefore, looking also at the other major EU nations, all the circumstances exist for a change of direction.
Why Latina
The decision to lay the foundation stone of this election campaign in Latina was certainly no accident. In fact, he explained: “It makes particular sense to start from here, from Piazza del Popolo in Latina. This is a city that knows work ethic very well and was born from it. The electoral campaign – he continued – is projected in a constituency of millions all over Italy and even beyond, but you have to start somewhere and I believe you have to do it from the heart, from the roots, from the province where I was born and grew up and where I started many years ago to do politics precisely by talking about Europe when I was still in the youth movement”.
Procaccini also looked back over the past five years, giving an analysis of the political work done at national and European level. “Five years ago – he told the listeners – Fratelli d’Italia was in danger of not crossing the electoral threshold and I remember the turbulent and frustrating beginnings in the European Parliament, when colleagues from other parties and other countries would not even greet me because they were afraid of being contaminated by an Italian fascist. That was the way we were talked about”.
After that, a turning point that involved the recognition of work carried out expertly: “In these five years we have been able to win the respect of most, Italy has won the respect of most. Five years ago, it was one nation among many, weak, frightened and without political leadership, and now everything has changed. I am one of the dwarfs running on the shoulders of a giant called Giorgia Meloni”.
The goals of the European elections
Looking at the results achieved, Procaccini firmly declared that he not only wants to aim at re-election, but also to go further and work towards winning a majority in Brussels.
A concept also espoused by the party’s provincial coordinator, Senator Nicola Calandrini, who pointed out that after thirty years the balance could change and bring the conservatives and reformists party to the centre. “A challenge”, as the Senator defined it, that sees in Procaccini the right man.