The 2021 Five Star Movement leadership election was an Italian online primary election held on 6 August 2021 that determined the president of the M5S.[1] The election was de facto a plebiscite in which party's members were asked to approve or reject the candidacy of former prime minister Giuseppe Conte as new leader.[2][3] Conte easily won the election with 92.8% of votes.[4]
Background
In February 2021, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte was forced to resign, after losing the absolute majority in the Senate of the Republic.[5][6] On 28 February 2021, after a few days from the end of his premiership, Conte joined the Five Star Movement (M5S), the party which proposed his candidacy as Prime Minister in June 2018.[7][8]
After a few days, the founder and so-called Guarantor of the M5S, Beppe Grillo, gave Conte the task of writing a new party's statute and announced that Conte would become the new political leader.[9] In the following months, however, tensions grown up between the two politicians. In June, Grillo accused Conte of aiming at creating a one-man party and of being "without a political vision".[10] The former Prime Minister threatened to found his own political movement, stating that Grillo "can not stop this useful political project".[11] In July 2021, Conte and Grillo found a compromise on the new statute and leadership elections were called on 6 August.[12]
Candidates
| Portrait | Name | Most recent position | Refs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Giuseppe Conte (1964– ) |
Prime Minister of Italy (2018–2021) |
[13] | |
Results
Leadership
| Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giuseppe Conte | 62,242 | 92.81 | ||
| Against | 4,822 | 7.19 | ||
| Total votes | 67,064 | 100.00 | ||
| Source: Movimento 5 Stelle | ||||
Statute
| Choice | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Yes |
53,238 | 87.36 | ||
 No |
7,702 | 12.64 | ||
| Total | 60,940 | 100.00 | ||
| Source: Huffington Post | ||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||
References
- ^ M5S, al via la votazione per eleggere Conte presidente. Gruppo di attivisti chiede la cancellazione: "Il 10 agosto noi fuori dal Movimento", la Repubblica
- ^ M5s, Conte incassa un plebiscito sullo statuto, ANSA
- ^ Italy’s 5Stars complete shift to traditional party, Politico Europe
- ^ Giuseppe Conte è il nuovo presidente del M5s: un plebiscito, 92,8% di sì. L’ex premier: “Voglio restituire dignità alla politica, progetto forte”, Il Fatto Quotidiano
- ^ Conte si dimette e tenta il ter (senza chiudere la porta a Renzi), Il Sole 24 Ore
- ^ Mario Draghi giura al Quirinale con tre minuti di anticipo, Huffington Post
- ^ M5s, via alla rifondazione dopo il vertice con Grillo. Conte dice sì: parteciperà con un ruolo ad hoc, la Repubblica
- ^ Roberts, Hannah (9 April 2021). "Former Italian leader Conte takes helm of 5Stars". Politico. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
- ^ Grillo vuole Conte leader del M5S. Cambia lo statuto, Il Mattino
- ^ Grillo e la rottura con Conte: «Non ha visione politica, no al partito unipersonale», Corriere della Sera
- ^ Conte attacca Grillo e apre al suo partito: “Non terrò questo progetto politico nel cassetto”, Fanpage
- ^ M5s, accordo fra Conte e Grillo su statuto: "Leadership chiara è garanzia di democrazia", Sky Tg24
- ^ M5s, plebiscito per il nuovo statuto di Conte: 87% sì, domani si vota per farlo presidente, Fanpage