The right is blinded: a 4-point pact, with an anti-mess clause

The center-right shields itself from centrifugal temptations with an anti-mess pact in mid-August just signed by Matteo Salvini, Giorgia Meloni and Silvio Berlusconi. A few sparse but significant points that find the square and extinguish – for the moment – the fibrillation among allies: presidentialism, justice reform, autonomy of the Veneto Region. Final remarks: “There is a need to reassure the voters that in no case Lega, FdI and Fi intend in the future to be part of government majorities together with other political forces that are not part of the coalition”. A common commitment, therefore, “not to give course in this and the future legislature to any government agreement” with others “without prejudice to a different formal unanimous agreement” between the three.

It was Meloni who strongly wanted the agreement, to minimize the risk that Forza Italia could “slip” towards a traction center of Italia Viva or, who knows, towards a broader coalition that also includes the Democratic Party. Maybe, under the pretext of a good government reshuffle. But, they say, also to remove from the field the hypothesis – unlikely to date – of a flashback between the Carroccio and the Cinquestelle. To set fire to the powders, however, it seems to have been Luca Zaia’s suggestion to run alone, that is, with his lists and those of the League, for the reconfirmation in September. Leaving the allies at the stake. With the prospect of finding Zaia governor-bis elected by a plesbiscite, and the League – today threatened by the FdI in a run-up to the polls – back in great shape after the incident of the “bonus cunning”.

Hence the agreement at the end of the summer, preparatory to face the autumn that promises to be incandescent from an economic, social and political point of view. Meloni has included presidentialism in the contract – a theme also dear to Forza Italia, although Silvio Berlusconi objectively has little chance of embodying it by now – and the reform of justice, also a historic workhorse of the blue and part of the Brothers of Italy, starting with Guido Crosetto. Salvini has collected the flag of Venetian autonomy, easing recent tensions with Zaia. Forza Italia avoids the (theoretical) upheaval of exclusion from the next Venetian government with consequent repercussions at national level. It collects the commitments on the constitutional reform in the presidential sense and the reform of justice and, more concretely, the convinced support of the allies on their running candidates (Giovanni Toti in Liguria, Raffaele Fitto in Puglia, Stefano Caldoro in Campania).

Finally, in all political agreements there is always something that does not appear. A “gray area” left out due to distraction or the desire not to tie one’s hands. This is no exception: not a word on the Mes, the state-saving mechanism that Forza Italia deems necessary for public accounts while Lega and FdI oppose. Nor on the electoral law, another game that will be played after the referendum on the cut of parliamentarians, and where there are distinctions. Two issues, it seems to be understood, that the center-right does not consider the right to maintain the coalition.

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