This Christmas, the newspaper pages are full of Salvini. But after the acquittal of the Open Arms case, the Minister of Infrastructure seems to have lost his inhibitory brakes, which was not his strong point before: therefore, it makes it clear that he is now ready to return, first of all, to “dealing with security”, that is, to become Minister of Internal Affairs. Matteo, later turned down by Meloni, casts himself in the unlikely role of kingmaker for the newspaper’s director, Alessandro Sallusti, or the even more unlikely first-person challenger. The appointment with the Milan elections is not that close: we will vote in 2027, in short, we have two years left, but it is also true that the election campaign will start in a year and a half and everyone wants it. be ready. Yes, but let’s move on to the Milan issue, starting from big to small, national and international politics.

Open Arms affair

The acquittal in the Open Arms incident appears to have ensured Salvini’s full political survival. He had certainly taken from her the sword of Damocles of a tortuous criminal trial, the crown of ugly accusations that she had to endure. But it did not solve all the political problems that Matteo brought with him. Being acquitted in court is one thing, returning to the center of politics is another. It’s one thing to get people talking about you, but it’s another to be the master of your own and others’ fate. The rudeness and haste with which Salvini claimed to have returned to the Ministry of Internal Affairs almost as soon as the sentence was announced is a good summary of what politics mostly is today and, above all, what it should not be. The personal fate of those involved in politics is naturally important to those directly involved. Let alone politics, even those who work as missionaries do not have absolute indifference to their own path.

But in short, it should be of some importance to have a minimum level of concern for common interests, starting with that of one’s own party and one’s own coalition. So Salvini can either say that Matteo Piantedosi is a terrible minister and that no one can be as good a minister as he is and can be, and this may be serious, but it should be taken seriously. or Salvini wanted to stir up trouble and embarrass his allies and government colleagues thanks to his acquittal in a case that – incidentally – was never an alibi or the real reason why Meloni and Mattarella did not want him back in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Frankly, I will not go into the merits of the work that Piantedosi conducted and that Meloni promptly defended, but I observe with good old-fashioned dismay the steady decline of all institutional grammars. The Prime Minister was right to remind us that he was already doing an important job, Bridge Minister, you did not say anything. And his party colleagues are right to remind him that the plate continues to cry in the games closest to their hearts (mythological Autonomy).

Sallusti is the mayor?

We were saying Milan. The debate here is different and entirely political. It is absolutely legitimate that the national leader of a party with historical roots in Lombardy and, moreover, a Milanese citizen, has an interest and desire to have a say in the future of the city in which he was born and raised, and this is where he took his first steps as a man and a politician. But his agitation is a good opportunity to evaluate Milan politics. The centre-left is preparing for the end of the Sala mayoral experience with some unknowns but also some certainties. True, the city is getting more expensive, harder for the lower-middle classes, the privileged, filled with loneliness that turns into fear. It follows its own trajectory, similar to that of many “successful” cities these days. We have expressed this often, and we will continue to do so. The centre-left has always formed a solid majority in the city since 2011. Even in the last elections, which fueled a discourse that underlined the disconnect between the city’s rulers and its citizens, the centre-left in Milan won. Commonly. In politics, as in life, nothing is won forever. But of course, things rarely change suddenly and without trying to change them. It is precisely in his own city that Salvini is weaker than elsewhere. He also knows that it is not certain that he will have pre-emption rights over the candidate nominated for the contest. The centre-left is looking through a list of names of united politicians, perhaps a bit frayed. And he keeps heavier cards in his pocket; if these were gamed it would make it harder for others to compete. Yes, Mario Calabresi’s name is at the top of the list among strong candidates.

Serious competition opportunity

So is it true? The Milan right has frequently engaged in debates over safety and cycle lanes in recent years, but has implemented little policy in this area to consolidate consensus and numbers. It is no coincidence that last time civilian candidate Luca Bernardo appeared at the last moment after a series of “no thanks”. It is not a coincidence that names such as Lupi and Moratti, which have been mentioned so far in the name of safe second-hand goods, have not received any obvious interest from anyone, especially those who are interested. Finally, it will not be a coincidence that the director of Giornale Sallusti carefully considered the possibility of changing his profession and life when the time came and only then decided to go into the field. What warranties will you want? Of course, it’s not a matter of winning, which is never certain. But being able to actually play the game, have some real chances. If tomorrow were to happen right now, this possibility would be very remote, almost a dream. Whether or not areas are created depends on many factors. Salvini is just one of them, certainly not the most important.