I won’t get tired of repeating this: The Italians have given their decision for the Centre Left and now the Centre Left must govern.
The Italians who have voted for us do not now want silly behaviour nor dialectical confrontations with the opposition about this topic or any other before the new Government has taken up its position. The electors of the Centre Left want the Unione to put into operation the manifesto for which they have voted into office. The parties making up the Unione are represented by the Party Secretaries and these can refer to Romano Prodi who will give his opinion about the merits of the election of the President of the Republic. The Unione has both the right and the duty to propose their candidate.
Or are we saying that we want to elect the candidate called Letta who was proposed by the former President of the Council? And if that is the case, why don’t we consider Previti or Dell’Utri?
The front pages of the newspapers are always giving information about the words of one who has been defeated, rather than about what the Unione is about to do. The programme of the Unione, whether or not the former President of the Council likes it, is what we are going to put into action.

The voters of the Centre Left, and me personally, we don’t mind whether or not a defeated man recognises our victory. If he doesn’t accept it, that’s his business and it’s the business of those newspapers that want to please him.
Italy must forge ahead. It must make progress now.