A “clear victory” that “reinforces the work of the Government”. Less than two hours have passed since the polls closed and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni sums up the vote in the regional elections in Lazio and Lombardy in this way. The center-right candidates, respectively Francesco Rocca and Attilio Fontana, are the new governors of the two regions and, with the calculation still open, are moving towards percentages above 50%. Centre-left candidates stop at around 35% (Alessio D’Amato in Lazio) and 33% (Pierfrancesco Majorino in Lombardy). The Pd exceeds 20% in both regions, while doing poorly for the lone races of the 5 Star Movement and the Third Pole: in Lazio Donatella Bianchi barely exceeds 11%, with the M5S still at around 10%; in Lombardy Letizia Moratti slightly exceeds 9% with Azione-Italia viva taking just 4%. The huge abstention weighs on the overall result: in Lazio only 37.20% of voters vote, a percentage that rises to just 41.67% in Lombardy.
You don’t have to read between the lines to understand that the prime minister wants to claim victory. Or because the party of which he is leader, the Brothers of Italy, separates the allies of the coalition both in Lazio (with almost 34%) and in Lombardy, where he obtains about 26% against 17% of the League, which he still holds. You want it because it’s easy for you to link success to a positive voter opinion of the Executive’s action. “Congratulations to Francesco Rocca and Attilio Fontana for the clear victory in these regional elections, confident that both will give everything to honor the vote and the mandate received from the citizens of Lazio and Lombardy. It is an important and significant result that consolidates the unity of the center- right and reinforces the work of the Government”, rejoices Meloni, who summons the two new presidents and reiterates “the satisfaction with a clear result”, in case the message is not clear. A message that the allies will have to deal with, in view of the government’s future choices.
Meloni’s comes as a call to close ranks and recognize positions of strength. FI leader Silvio Berlusconi’s statements on Ukraine are a deviation from the executive’s line that requires a course correction. The answer is clear even today. With the prime minister affected, it is the Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida, who arrived at the Rocca committee in Rome, who takes stock of the situation: he speaks of “an even higher number than that of the political elections, achieved three months ago”, of ” a growing appreciation” for a “close-knit centre-right coalition”. But then comes the blow to Cav: his words “I don’t share them, as I understand the whole government doesn’t share them.” Including the blue ministers seems to be understood.
At night, however, a gesture arrives that goes towards consolidating the alliance. “The Presidency of the Council informs that it instructed the State Public Prosecutor’s Office today to revoke its participation as a civil party in the criminal process called ‘Ruby ter’ against, among others, Senator Silvio Berlusconi”, informs a note from Palazzo Chigi. “We are satisfied because we are heading towards a victory for the center-right and we are an integral and decisive part of the center-right”, interrupted the minister of Foreign Affairs and blue national coordinator Antonio Tajani. League leader Matteo Salvini: “For Lega I am very happy, even if I am interested in the team’s victory” and that “with Giorgia and Silvio it works. We are all mutually happy with the victory”, he says, reiterating that “we are in…
Source: IL Tempo
Emma Fitzgerald is an accomplished political journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in political science and international relations, she has a deep understanding of the political landscape and the forces that shape it.
