Regional elections, Lombardy and Lazio in the center right: what consequences for the government

Power wears out those who don’t have it. Or, to expand on Giulio Andreotti’s most famous maxim, it also corrodes those who must witness a sudden shift in balance within a coalition. Do the regional elections, which sanction the triumph of the center-right, strengthen the government, as Giorgia Meloni said, or do they run the risk of creating some fissures in the executive? It is impossible, of course, to answer this question peremptorily. Some assessments, however, are necessary.

The difference between FdI, Lega and FI, already highlighted on September 25, 2022, is even greater today. The party led by Francesco Lollobrigida and Giovanni Donzelli will have the difficult task of containing bulimic instincts. It must not, when it comes to sharing positions and power, humiliate allies. Who, on the contrary, must have humility and common sense to understand that music has changed. The rhythm of five or ten years ago is now obsolete, surpassed today by a completely different melody. But if Matteo Salvini seems to live with a certain serenity this evolution of the recent history of Italian conservatives, the same cannot be said of Silvio Berlusconi. Will the Knight be able to play the role of Giorgia Meloni’s wise mentor or will he indulge in over-the-top statements? If this reasoning is valid at national level and for the Region of Lazio, it becomes even more rigorous for Lombardy.

Here Attilio Fontana, fan of the Northern League, will find a regional council in which the exponents of Carroccio will be represented, at least according to the first projection of the Opinio Italia consortium for Rai, by just 16%. Almost ten points less than Fratelli d’Italia (25.6%, to be precise). For the first time in over a decade, in and around Milan, La Liga will not be the first party. Balances to be found to manage the extraordinary trust that voters, in incredible numbers, have placed in this centre-right government.