The contested candidacy: Schlein's supporters approve the candidate's candidate, Dika. The "impure" rebellion.

Florence, August 13, 2025 – Emiliano Fossi, some pranksters from the Democratic Party, will joke. All that was missing for Fossi now was the diaspora between die-hard Schleinians and "impure" Schleinians. But what's going on? In Valdinievole , the populous heart of the Pistoia province, the mayors are unanimously pushing for the regional candidacy of Bernard Dika ( pictured ) , a talented spin doctor for Governor Giani, who arrived as a child from Albania during the migrations of the late 1990s and established himself in the local political hierarchy. He was trained in reformism, but is very popular with the Schleinians. And Marco Furfaro, Elly's local colonel, is very fond of him. His candidacy would theoretically have been easy to come by, if it weren't for the fact that a faction—energetic in Democratic Party chatrooms—is not in favor of him and is even crying "conflict of interest."

The countermove? The approximately 160 signatures already collected in support of the candidacy of Riccardo Trallori , outgoing head of the Digital Infrastructure Department led by Stefano Ciuoffo. This would be the solution to replace Marco Niccolai, fresh from two terms.

And Trallori's territory, Pistoia, is the same one where Dika would be playing his game. A derby. Pressure to keep the operation from being closed would come from Giacomellians, figures close to the former eminence grise of Piana politics. His loyalists, initially reformists and then unconvincingly aligned with Schlein (and therefore "impure"), don't like Elly's ultras. Especially in Furfaro. So, between venom, vitriolic text messages, and accusations, the Democratic Party finds no peace, even on vacation.

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