Melio, the most voted in Florence: “Free public transport for under 25s”

A debut of eleven thousand and more preferences, which made him the most voted candidate of the Democratic Party in the city of Florence and one of the most awarded in all of Tuscany. And to think that in the last seven months he has not even left home: until Sunday, when he went to vote. “Mine could become a case study, I don’t think anyone has ever won a campaign of this type based solely on videoconferencing. It is a result that surprised me.” Iacopo Melio, 28, writer, journalist, founder of the non-profit organization for human rights #Vorreiprendereiltreno and Caballero al Mérito de la República by appointment of Sergio Mattarella, starting today adds one more piece to his commitment as an activist: that of a member of the regional council of Tuscany, driven by an avalanche of 11,233 preferential votes that contributed to the success of the center-left led by Eugenio Giani. A result “the result of the commitment of a hundred volunteers, who made a difference by beating the streets of Florence house by house. Achieved – says Melio, who has traveled in a wheelchair since birth – also thanks to the vote of those who, on other occasions, would not have elected the Democratic Party “.

Melio, in Florence, won 300 more preferences than the Deputy Mayor Cristina Giachi and 3,000 more than the Councilor for Social Welfare Andrea Vannucci, who had a much more consolidated electoral machine than hers. Did you expect it?
“It could have turned out very badly or very well, and it did. I want to thank Secretary Nicola Zingaretti and especially Marco Furfaro for having immediately believed in this and for proposing my candidacy. And obviously to Eugenio Giani, with whom I have built a wonderful relationship. In the past many have written to me saying “I am not a voter for the Democratic Party but I trust you, do not disappoint me.” Young people of legal age, voters of the radical left or of the 5 Star Movement, who thanks to the divided vote managed to put a cross in my name. It was a double gift that amazed me, it means that they saw in me that possibility of change that they expected from me ”.

His was an electoral campaign to say the least unusual: no rallies in the square, confrontations and debates exclusively on Skype, and a lot of volunteering.
“If the message is there, the results will come. We are used to seeing candidates who spend all their expenses to be elected: instead we have worked without consensus networks behind us, reaping what we have sown. It was difficult: perhaps if we were yes we could have walked we would have done even better. For my health hiring Covid would be a big problem, so we only plan broadcast events. My mom is a teacher, my sister has restarted school, the fear of infection is there. It is. But I want to reassure the citizens of Tuscany: even if I stay a little longer at home (in Cerreto Guidi, Florence, ed) I will work hard “.

In the past he had already rejected several candidacy offers. Why did you agree to run this time?
“It seemed the right moment to try to make the battles born with the #Vorreiprendereiltreno. At 22-23 it takes humility to say no, I’m not ready, I still have a lot to learn. Today is different: in February I graduated in political science at the University of Florence, I can try to make a difference. By asking me to participate, the Democratic Party has shown that it wants to embody change, and that has given me even more conviction. ”

What will be your first commitment as a regional councilor?
“Not necessarily on the issue of disability: I applied as a person, not as a disabled person. Three priorities: environment, youth, rights. Among my proposals is free public transport for those under 25 years of age, but it is not something that can achieve overnight. At the end of my term, I would like to see a tree planted for every Tuscan citizen. ”

Would you join the future council of Eugenio Giani?
“Surely I will not be the one to propose. The decisions in the council are Giani, I get in the game to work as well as possible.

Who was the first to congratulate her? Giani, Zingaretti?
“To tell the truth, I haven’t heard from them yet. I would say that my 14-year-old sister, my most ardent supporter: yesterday she was until 3 in the morning to follow the count down to the last seat.