The back and forth between Beppe Grillo and Giuseppe Conte on the future of the 5 Star Movement takes place with two letters published on the site and attest to the distance between the parties. The founder of the Movement requests a discussion before the constituent assembly, because he is the guardian of the values of the group and has not been informed by the former prime minister of his intentions. However, Conte does not agree and refuses the meeting, so that the debate can be consumed entirely within the assembly, out of respect for the relaunch project he launched. “Berlusconi got more votes when he was dead than Conte when he was alive,” hissed Grillo after the disappointing result of the European elections, and in his message he criticizes those who have decontextualized one of his jokes to highlight an alleged disagreement between the guarantor of the M5 and its president.
Beppe Grillo's letter
The founder of the M5 criticizes the former Prime Minister for not getting involved and presents himself as “the guardian of the values of the Movement”: “We should at least discuss it first, during the meetings that I asked you to hold, also because every decision cannot be taken in accordance with the values of the Movement.” Grillo had asked Conte to meet “a small group of us, to discuss the issues on which to relaunch the Movement, which is suffering from an obvious crisis of consensus. Personally, I believe that our crisis of consensus also and above all stems from a crisis of identity.” Grillo says he is convinced that there is no disagreement with Conte, and these meetings would certify it. Then criticizing those who exploited his “decontextualized” remarks and pretended to forget who I am, while they had applauded many of my other jokes and hyperbole. No one is more ridiculous than someone who takes a joke seriously, so I just have to thank him for making some of my jokes even funnier.” He then invites Conte to make the letter public to “clear up our supposed differences.”
Conte refuses Grillo's request for an appointment
The former Prime Minister responds that he had told Grillo of his desire to open a constituent path during their last meeting, “an opportunity for real discussion and participation to renew the political action of the Movement”. “We must not be afraid to question ourselves. For my part,” he adds, “I can warn you that the management of the various phases of the constituent process will be entrusted to a group of independent experts,” to defend the validity of the decision. Then he responds to the direct request for an appointment: “Your contribution is more than welcome and I confirm my complete openness to discuss with you, as and when you wish. You will always have the greatest availability, mine as well as all the representatives of the thematic commissions, to collect your suggestions. No one questions your historical role as founder and your current role as Guarantor. I have not done so. But with great frankness, also taking into account the political responsibilities that I have assumed, I must inform you that I cannot accept your proposal to discuss “in advance” the issues that will be submitted to the Constituent Assembly.” Then the reason for the refusal: “It is a request diametrically opposed to the project that we are starting and to the spirit that pushed me to convene the meeting. To imagine that you and I, alone or – as you write – with “a small group of us”, proceed to identify and discuss the topics to be submitted to the assembly, would be to arrogate to ourselves the choice of indicating the topics on which the “assembly has the right to express its opinion, assuming that it lacks legitimacy compared to all the others”. Conte therefore recalls that it is the entire community of members who must get involved and express themselves, the supreme organ of the Movement by statute. “Letting the debate develop freely and without being predetermined”, is Conte's invitation, “is the best way to revive the spirit of the Movement, the inspiration that drives many citizens to engage in the institutions without thinking of personal gain, truly driven by the desire to change our country against everything and everyone.”
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