Milan, 1 May (LaPresse) – ‘I believe change is a source of vitality’, ‘there has never been’ a showdown within Forza Italia. This was stated by the Minister for Public Administration, Paolo Zangrillo, in an interview with *Corriere della Sera*. And did he explain this to former group leaders Maurizio Gasparri and Paolo Barelli? "They weren’t ‘scrapped’; they both held prestigious roles. If I need to express my unease, it’s not that I won’t go to the EPP; I’ll call Tajani. A party leader is like a CEO. He must understand the race to establish credibility that exists amongst those around him. And bear in mind that there’s an election in a year and a half. We need to focus on completing the transition and trying to settle in,” continues Zangrillo. “I speak and discuss things with Marina. But she has never put pressure on us to change” the group leaders. She too has received signs of discontent. But she said: ‘If this is your decision, go ahead. You can’t expect me to be the one to do it’. It was a decision that had been maturing within the party. I too have received signals.” What is causing discontent? “There is a desire for renewal and a greater openness to dialogue.” Has nothing changed? “The direction is the right one: involving more people for a party with greater participation. Sometimes decisions seemed to have been pre-determined.” Are you saying that Antonio Tajani has had his day? “I respect him. I think he’s the best of us. But the best way to help him is to tell him the truth.” Is Marina entering the fray? “No.” Who will succeed Tajani? “I don’t see any signs of a succession. I hope we can have a dialogue with him. And stop just telling him ‘how good you are, how strong you are’. I detest staff who are only capable of telling me I’m infallible.”
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