What will be the role of Berlusconi for the Meloni government
Will Berlusconi be the man of harmony for the center-right majority? Giuliano Cazzola's comment
In my opinion, in the comments on the elections of 25 September, an aspect that could prove to be important is overlooked: the result of Forza Italia, in the context of the center-right coalition.
Forza Italia elected 44 deputies and 18 senators. Just do the math to understand that FI has the numbers to condition the coalition that won 235 seats in the Chamber (majority 201) and 112 seats in Palazzo Madama. Obviously the same consideration also applies to Matteo Salvini's League which can also rely on a greater number of seats (64 in the Chamber and 29 in the Senate).
These data await confirmation after the adjustments already made and those that may eventually emerge from further calculations. But a few small revisions cannot change the substance of things: FdI has practically obtained a number of votes equal to three times the number of each of its main allies (and has also taken charge of the centrists of the coalition) but it needs the votes of both the League and the by FI. Before the ballots it was even assumed a majority formed only by the Fiamma and the Carroccio, but this did not happen. The Cav is alive and fighting with the others. The government can only be done if there are the votes of FI.
For now, imagining different and conflicting scenarios would only be a school hypothesis, because the allies will be able to raise their voices in some (confidential) negotiations on the division of government offices, but they will never come to question an alliance back from such a clear victory. Then Berlusconi and Salvini , alongside Giorgia Meloni, will play the part of the good and the bad thief, in the sense that good advice will come from the first that Meloni would do well to follow, from the second only bad examples to avoid. As Claudio Cerasa wrote '' the party of Cav. will be able to do what in the past it has always tried to do: smooth out the corners of extremism and try to push the allies away from populism '', to which during the election campaign he addressed very severe criticisms. Moreover, with a lot of chutzpah (because he too took part in the conspiracy of the “ ides of July ''), Silvio Berlusconi was careful not to criticize the Draghi government and its agenda, while others took it distances. And immediately he recognized that '' primacy '' of Giorgia Meloni that Salvini questioned until a minute before the opening of the polls.
Having said all this, it is necessary to give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. Berlusconi has seven lives like cats; has long been given up for lost in politics and devoted only to his personal “ addictions '', but at the right moment he rises again as the Phoenix, to the amazement of all, because with age the questionable claims have increased (remember the 'last on Putin's'' good people '' who raised a chorus of criticisms and distances) that require immediate and confused denials.
But in this electoral campaign the leader of Forza Italia has identified the right political positioning: that of those who guarantee, with his presence, the continuity of the traditional position of Italy on the international and European scenarios. And it was able to do so because FI is the only party of the new majority that has relations with one of the '' great families '' of European power. The affidavit of Manfred Weber, the leader of the EPP, recognized Cav. a lineage and kinship that the other center-right parties do not have '' where you can do what you want ''. And, just before the meeting with Weber, the leader of Forza Italia made a very demanding statement: '' Italy is a founding country of the European Union. Europe is our common homeland, our Christian and liberal principles were born here. We can only be pro-Europeans, without hesitation and to the end ”. Adding that Fi would never have been part of a government that did not respect these commitments.
With this role, Berlusconi returns to that courtroom that threw him out by violating the infamous Severino law. And – mockery of fate – he returns as the guardian of a line that his historical opponents are no longer able to guarantee to anyone.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/mondo/berlusconi-ruolo-governo-meloni/ on Thu, 29 Sep 2022 05:14:19 +0000.