That night in Ponza chasing D’Alema: The ex-communist premier and the routes of his Ikarus

The article delves into a specific summer night in 1999 off the coast of Ponza, Italy, when journalists were actively trying to intercept Massimo D'Alema, then the Prime Minister and commander of his yacht, 'Ikarus.' The scene is set at the Acqua Pazza restaurant, where reporters, having finished dinner and consumed several bottles of wine, were alerted by the coast guard about D'Alema's presence.

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Where are you running, guys?

Driven by the urgency of their profession, the journalists rushed down the street and into ancient Roman caves, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Prime Minister. D'Alema emerged from the shadows, appearing tanned and relaxed, walking with a deliberate, almost theatrical slowness. He engaged the reporters, asking, "Where are you running, guys?" His tone, a mix of formidable sarcasm and perhaps deep disdain, eventually softened into a semblance of friendliness. The piece suggests he might have recalled his time as director of the newspaper L'Unità, or perhaps, in his cunning, realized that by 2 a.m., newspapers were closed, leaving him with little immediate threat of a damaging story.

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Massimo arrived from a great season: he had been decisive both in the formation of the Dini government, which was formed immediately after Berlusconi's fall, with the famous "invitation to appear" delivered to him in Naples by the Milan Public Prosecutor's Office during the UN Conference on Organized Crime, and in the subsequent establishment of the first Prodi government.

This period marked a significant era for D'Alema, who was the first former communist to hold the office of Prime Minister in Italy. He had previously been a formidable "kingmaker" in Italian politics. Former Senator Nicola Latorre recalls D'Alema's crucial role in forming the Dini government after Berlusconi's fall and subsequently the first Prodi government. Latorre notes that D'Alema had effectively paved his own path to Palazzo Chigi, although he ultimately entered the office through a "parlor maneuver" rather than a direct electoral route.

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Exactly: only, unfortunately, he then entered with a maneuver of the palace and not, as he had imagined, with an electoral path.

Latorre emphasizes that D'Alema's ascent was a pivotal moment, "opening a new and unconventional historical phase: he definitively legitimized the Italian left at a time when..." The narrative captures the blend of political strategy, media pursuit, and the historical significance of D'Alema's premiership, portraying him as a shrewd figure navigating both the political landscape and the press.

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It was, however, an event. "It opened a new and unconventional historical phase: he definitively legitimized the Italian left at a time, let's not forget, |