• M5S, Friday the vote on Rousseau on the civic agreement in Umbria
  • The M5S members vote on the Rousseau platform on the civic agreement with the Democratic Party in Umbria
  • Top Yes and bottom No, here's how to vote on the Rousseau platform

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28 September 2019

Davide Casaleggio will bring the Rousseau platform to the United Nations, the web creature inherited from his father Gianroberto on which the voters of the 5-star Movement discuss and decide. He will do so in a meeting on digital citizenship promoted by the Italian government in New York and announces it in an interview with Corriere della Sera.

But in a few hours, he is overwhelmed by criticism. The most aggressive come from the PD, which arises and invokes the risk of conflict of interest. 'On behalf of which government? Who decided? ', The Democrats ask themselves. But even the opposition warms up. Forza Italia announces an urgent question to the Senate to ask for "this mess" to Minister Di Maio, as leader of the 5 Stars. Matteo Salvini thunders that "it is a shame" and on Thursday his party will ask for explanations in the Foreign Committee in the Chamber, with an urgent question time. So much so that, in the evening, the Italian diplomatic representation intervenes at the UN to try to throw water on the fire: it is a "side event", he pressed.

The Italian representation at the UN intervenes
A conference on digital citizenship in which Italy will be represented by the Minister of Technological Innovation Paola Pisano. There will be international experts in the sector including Davide Casaleggio, as a representative of civil society. The defense of Casaleggio on the part of the Cinquestelle, who also mentioned Romano Prodi, is more clear: "with regard to the specious and instrumental polemics on the participation of Casaleggio at the UN, it is recalled - M5s sources say - that the Permanent Representation only a year ago at the UN organized an event inviting among others Professor Romano Prodi, as president of the Foundation for Collaboration between Peoples "The much discussed audience will be an event on digital citizenship, organized by the government through permanent Italian representation at the 'UN. In addition to Casaleggio there will be professionals and representatives of civil society from various parts of the world that deal with new technologies. In short - it is the entrepreneur's explanation - it is inevitable that Rousseau is invited to speak of online democracy. "Abroad the project has become a case study in different countries and they look at us with great interest, we should be proud of it", he remarks.

The 'suspects' of the Democratic Party
But it is not the sentiment widespread in the new government ally, which suspects that Casaleggio associate uses the government to have an international stage and make it a commercial of its own business.

The former president dem, Matteo Orfini, does not use words, for example. "I understand that we are now in government together, but for this we must tell the truth: that the Italian Government organizes Casaleggio's presence at the UN to promote its association is not normal. About conflict of interests". A common thread that unites him to his colleague Filippo Sensi: "I read about a proposal by Casaleggio at the UN. On behalf of, no less than the Italian executive. Which one? The one from before? The one of now? And the government? the former spokesman of Matteo Renzi and Paolo Gentiloni. Even Andrea Romano beats hard: "Casaleggio continues to avoid the boulder that weighs on Italian democracy: the conflict of interests between his private company and the party from whose MPs he receives compulsory financing", he writes on social networks. Adding: "Overcoming that conflict of interests would be in everyone's interest, including the maturation of the M5S".

Criticisms also come from the opposition
The leader of Italian Brothers, Giorgia Meloni, points the finger: "The government in which Di Maio, Foreign Minister and political leader of the M5S, sits, organizes an event on digital citizenship at the UN and invites Davide Casaleggio to promote the project "Rousseau. Nobody has anything to say about this huge conflict of interest? Wanted consistency Cinquestelle." Followed by the Forza Matilde Siracusano: "For years, the grillini have unjustly accused Berlusconi of using the government for his companies and for advertising, instead they have turned the government itself into a big spot for their business". The Italian representative asks for Parliament's intervention: "It's a huge interest conflict".