2021 Five Star Movement leadership election

2021 Five Star Movement leadership election
← 2017 6 August 2021
 
Nominee Giuseppe Conte
Party Five Star Movement
Popular vote 62,242
Percentage 92.8%
Leader before election

Vito Crimi
(Acting)

 Elected leader

Giuseppe Conte

The 2021 Five Star Movement leadership election was an Italian online primary election held on 6 August 2021 that determined the president of the M5S.[1] The election was de facto a plebiscite in which party's members were asked to approve or reject the candidacy of former prime minister Giuseppe Conte as new leader.[2][3] Conte easily won the election with 92.8% of votes.[4]

Background

In February 2021, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte was forced to resign, after losing the absolute majority in the Senate of the Republic.[5][6] On 28 February 2021, after a few days from the end of his premiership, Conte joined the Five Star Movement (M5S), the party which proposed his candidacy as Prime Minister in June 2018.[7][8]

After a few days, the founder and so-called Guarantor of the M5S, Beppe Grillo, gave Conte the task of writing a new party's statute and announced that Conte would become the new political leader.[9] In the following months, however, tensions grown up between the two politicians. In June, Grillo accused Conte of aiming at creating a one-man party and of being "without a political vision".[10] The former Prime Minister threatened to found his own political movement, stating that Grillo "can not stop this useful political project".[11] In July 2021, Conte and Grillo found a compromise on the new statute and leadership elections were called on 6 August.[12]

Candidates

Portrait Name Most recent position Refs
Giuseppe Conte
(1964– ) 		Prime Minister of Italy
(2018–2021) 		[13]

Results

Leadership

Candidate Votes %
Giuseppe Conte 62,242 92.81
Against 4,822 7.19
Total votes 67,064 100.00
Source: Movimento 5 Stelle
Popular vote
Conte
 
 92.81%
Against
 
 7.19%

Statute

Choice Votes %
checkY Yes 53,238 87.36
☒N No 7,702 12.64
Total 60,940 100.00
Source: Huffington Post
Popular vote
checkY Yes
 
 87.36%
☒N No
 
 12.64%

References

  1. ^ M5S, al via la votazione per eleggere Conte presidente. Gruppo di attivisti chiede la cancellazione: "Il 10 agosto noi fuori dal Movimento", la Repubblica
  2. ^ M5s, Conte incassa un plebiscito sullo statuto, ANSA
  3. ^ Italy’s 5Stars complete shift to traditional party, Politico Europe
  4. ^ Giuseppe Conte è il nuovo presidente del M5s: un plebiscito, 92,8% di sì. L’ex premier: “Voglio restituire dignità alla politica, progetto forte”, Il Fatto Quotidiano
  5. ^ Conte si dimette e tenta il ter (senza chiudere la porta a Renzi), Il Sole 24 Ore
  6. ^ Mario Draghi giura al Quirinale con tre minuti di anticipo, Huffington Post
  7. ^ M5s, via alla rifondazione dopo il vertice con Grillo. Conte dice sì: parteciperà con un ruolo ad hoc, la Repubblica
  8. ^ Roberts, Hannah (9 April 2021). "Former Italian leader Conte takes helm of 5Stars". Politico. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  9. ^ Grillo vuole Conte leader del M5S. Cambia lo statuto, Il Mattino
  10. ^ Grillo e la rottura con Conte: «Non ha visione politica, no al partito unipersonale», Corriere della Sera
  11. ^ Conte attacca Grillo e apre al suo partito: “Non terrò questo progetto politico nel cassetto”, Fanpage
  12. ^ M5s, accordo fra Conte e Grillo su statuto: "Leadership chiara è garanzia di democrazia", Sky Tg24
  13. ^ M5s, plebiscito per il nuovo statuto di Conte: 87% sì, domani si vota per farlo presidente, Fanpage