The curtain has fallen, that Vincenzo De Luca, all of a piece, is no more.

One of the many successful films by Bud Spencer and Terence Hill was titled "Even Angels Eat Beans." In that case, the film attempted to highlight the nobility of soul that can reside even in rough and tumble people. But the opposite could be true, when it turns out that behind the pompous ostentation of a supposedly irreplaceable political leader lies a banal inclination toward "realpolitik." Even "viceroys" accept little deals, just to stay afloat. And yet they quickly contradict themselves. Like a street hustler.

The story of Vincenzo De Luca —who first enthusiastically endorsed Roberto Fico as the next governor of Campania, then changed his mind and reneged on the agreement— demonstrates that everyone is equal. One might say that "one is worth one," to paraphrase the M5S's motto, which so made the Campanian viceroy scoff when, five years ago, upon his confirmation as president, he mocked the contribution made by the "grillini" (that was still the name they could be called back then): in Naples, "the regional line was chosen, that is, starting with what was the regional coalition, adding the 5 Star Movement , which is not a decisive factor here, much less in Italy."

And he added, smug about his success at the time: “Someone mocked me for a photograph showing me with many Five Star Movement members, saying 'you've changed.' Yes, they have changed, I'm still there. Those who cultivated political stupidity for a decade have changed, those who chose the one-man-one policy, those who confused the concept of caste with the concept of elite . The caste is a bloc of forces, leaders or not, that reproduces itself without connections to society, but a large country without elites and without expertise cannot be governed. It's important that they have changed and that they are committed to a path of evolution.”

Well, they've evolved so much that even the "viceroy" considers them ripe for his post. Actually, no. Not anymore. The "old" De Luca, anti-M5S, is re-emerging, though his latest somersault has changed his image and persona. Politics is made of "blood and shit," as Rino Formica reminded us, and also of many inconsistencies, of course. You just don't expect someone who's built a persona like De Luca —a powerful persona, somewhere between Totò and Pulcinella, in the repertoire of Neapolitanness (even though he's originally from Salerno) with the invaluable help of Maurizio Crozza—to later reveal himself to be little more than a pettifogger, who only needs three capons to change his mind. And a night of second thoughts, to retrace his steps again.

In January, when De Luca was still aiming for a third term , he mocked his party's leadership, from Elly Schlein on down, complaining that "the law is the same for everyone except me," including the President of the Republic among those who were able to choose endless positions, or mocking his party colleague, Andrea Orlando, candidate for the presidency of Liguria: "This is a politician who has five parliamentary mandates and who has been a minister three times: what hypocrisy."

Now that the tug-of-war with the Democratic Party seems lost —and he must also guarantee his son Piero's party membership (and we all know how important children are to the hearts of Neapolitans and Campanians in general)—the "people's leader" is content to be a "boss." And to remain among those in power for a little longer, he first agrees to step aside, leaving the candidacy to the original Five Star Movement supporter, Roberto Fico. Then he raises his voice, but his tone is that of someone who has lost his former self-confidence.

The man who took the bus to Montecitorio—we remember Roberto Fico more for that photo than for his political activity, despite having two vague exploratory mandates in two government crises—seemed to have erased all of De Luca's mistrust of the M5S: "Some rather amusing folk phenomenon," but even "a danger to democracy in Campania." Not anymore. Until the next dance: the November vote is still a long way off.

When the Five Star Movement celebrated Gaetano Manfredi's victory as mayor of Naples four years ago, De Luca commented on Giuseppe Conte's arrival in Naples: "I saw it as confirmation of Campania's tourist appeal. When we were discussing the results, Five Star representatives arrived en masse; in Naples, we had more Five Star leaders than Five Star votes."

That De Luca, who was always in one piece, is no more. Crozza will have to modify his character, destined to be more puppet than mask, more extra than protagonist. We're sorry. We believed in the performance. But the curtain has fallen. Everything is back to normal, even between Naples and Salerno. And maybe this time we might see Roberto Fico on the subway.