The single party foundered but the Third Pole is not yet archived

Calenda definitely closes the merger with Italia Viva. And he attacks Renzi: “He wanted to deceive me”. The answer: “I had already decided”

The Third Pole is still standing, the single-party project will founder, at least for the time being. Or rather, the single party that would be born from the merger of Italia Viva and Azione because in fact Calenda has declared that he will continue the project alone. “Azione will do this work, questioning everything: its name, the political manifesto that will have to be inclusive of the popular and liberal area” declared the former Minister of Economy. What dictates more than a single party looks like an Action restyling.

The “merger” project between Renzi’s party and Calenda’s party seemed, albeit amid a thousand difficulties, to be launched later, but at the meeting that was supposed to resolve the last critical issues, something went wrong. And the meeting scheduled for last night ended up not happening. But whose fault is the separation? For the Calendians, it is Renzi who, according to them, is plotting to take over the party, while for the Renzians it is Calenda who cannot make peace with himself.

“Calenda is crazy, he got the pills wrong” would be the phrase with which Renzi summed up the situation for his followers, a phrase he later denied. For his part, Calenda made a video in which he reiterated that: “The one-party project with Italia Viva foundered for the simple reason that Renzi took the IV directly into his hands two months ago and does not want to give up”. Despite the statements, the crux remains money. Calenda’s proposal provided for an entry of 200,000 euros and 70% of the 2×1000 donations for the second half of 2023 to the single party.

While Italia Viva’s counter-proposal provided for each of the two parties to contribute 50% of the general needs of the new political formation. Specifying that: «Italia Viva has already paid 1 million and 200 thousand euros to the Third Pole project. Money used in the vast majority of cases for billboards with the face and name of Calenda».

One thing, however, is the failure of the single party, one thing is a possible fracture of the Third Pole that would lead to much more serious “economic losses”. Incidentally, the true treasure is not so much in the coffers of the two parties as Action has collected donations of around 1 million and 200 thousand euros and Italia Viva has just over 970 thousand euros in cash, but the annual contribution that the Chamber and the Senate provides parliamentarians with groups for “the performance of their functions.” Under a reward system that allocates more money to larger groups. From that point of view, a split doesn’t suit either.

To understand this, just observe the difference in reimbursement in the Chamber between Italia Viva and Azione in the last legislature. Renzi’s party raised around 1 million and 200 thousand euros, while Calenda’s creature, who was part of Misto, put just over 140 thousand euros in his pocket. To maintain the groups and related funding, the Chamber needs at least 20 deputies and at least 6 senators in Palazzo Madama, but in Montecitorio there are 9 Renziano deputies and Action 12 and in the Senate Italia Viva has 5 senators and Action 4. Does not make sense. In light of all this, it is understandable why Renzi, at yesterday’s meeting with his supporters, defined the fracture as a “serious error”.

Now the survival strategy could pass from a “technical agreement” according to which the two political formations remain in the same parliamentary group, but with a mixed autonomy. Even if there are still those who believe in the one-party project. “I don’t think the project has failed, it just had a longer gestation than expected – said Ettore Rosato to Rai Radio 1 – in politics you should never take anything for granted”.

Source: IL Tempo

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