Avellino and Irpinia had a visible presence at Nova Milano, the two-day national meeting of the Five Star Movement (Movimento 5 Stelle, M5S) dedicated to political discussion, meetings and debate.
According to IrpiniaNews, a sizeable Irpinian delegation travelled to Milan for the event, led by provincial coordinator Maura Sarno. The group took part in two days described as focused on dialogue and political participation, alongside M5S representatives and activists from other parts of Italy.
Who represented Irpinia
The IrpiniaNews report names several members of the delegation:
- Maura Sarno, M5S provincial coordinator, leading the delegation
- Mariassunta Damiano and Enza Senato, vice representatives of the Avellino territorial group
- Activists from the Avellino area
- Avellino city councillor Aquino
- M5S vice-president Michele Gubitosa
The available reporting does not give a precise total number of Irpinian participants, and it does not provide the full first name of Councillor Aquino. What is clear from the local account is the emphasis on collective participation: elected representatives, territorial-group officers and grassroots activists attending together.
What Nova Milano was about
Nova was not presented as a standalone rally. The M5S describes Nova 2026 as a participatory process for building a government programme, with local meetings feeding into a final national event in Milan on 19–20 September.
In that sense, the Irpinian presence combined two levels of politics. At the local level, it was an opportunity for Avellino delegates and activists to take part directly in national discussions. At the national level, it was part of a broader M5S effort to define programmatic priorities for a progressive coalition government.
That dual character helps explain why local press framed the trip as both participation and political positioning: Irpinia was not only observing the national debate, but contributing delegates to it.
Conte's closing and the programme vote
Former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte closed the Milan event after an internal consultation of M5S members on the programme. The local and national accounts present that vote as a political mandate for subsequent discussions with progressive allies.
National coverage by ANSA reported one of the most closely watched results: 91.7% of participating M5S members voted against continuing arms shipments to Ukraine. The result was presented by Conte as a clear direction from the movement's base and became a central point in reporting on Nova's political conclusions.
The sources do not provide a complete transcript of Conte's closing speech, so the full detail of his remarks should not be inferred beyond what was reported: the conclusion of the consultation phase and the use of its outcome as a basis for dialogue with other progressive forces.
Why it matters for Avellino readers
For readers in Avellino and Irpinia, two points are especially relevant.
First, the delegation's composition shows continuity in local M5S organisation. The presence of the provincial coordinator, the two vice representatives of the Avellino territorial group, a city councillor and the movement's vice-president indicates coordinated involvement across local, provincial and national levels.
Second, Nova links local activism to national programme choices. Issues debated in Milan, including the government programme and Italy's position on military support for Ukraine, are now part of the platform the M5S intends to bring to coalition talks. Irpinian activists who attended were therefore present at the moment when internal consultation turned into an outward-facing political position.
In short, Nova Milano was a national M5S milestone with a distinctly Irpinian footprint: two days of meetings and debate in Milan, attended by a delegation led by Maura Sarno, and closed by Conte with a programme vote that the movement plans to carry into the wider progressive debate.
