Third mandate in Campania. The maneuvers of the center-right and center-left

The last blow in chronological order is delivered directly Elly Schlein, guest of ‘Che tempo che fa’, reiterates the national party’s opposition to the third term. The Regionals in Campania are still almost a year away, but we are already at a turning point, because the political maneuvers of the center-left and, indirectly, also of the center-right revolve around the re-nomination of Vincenzo De Luca.

If that wasn’t enough, the secretary of the Democratic Party throws another dig at the current ‘governor’: “They can vote for all the regional laws they want – she always says in that interview – but this doesn’t change the party’s position. If someone isn’t accustomed to it, because before it worked directly, now it’s a good idea to get used to the change.” The President of the Region accepts Schlein’s words and continues on his way. “I am reapplying. Whoever is there is there“, he has been repeating for some time like a mantra.

And the Campania party? On Saturday, the Institutional Affairs commission of the Regional Council approved the bill which provides for the transposition of the national law, which provides for the non-re-eligibility for the office of President of the Region for those who, at the end of the second mandate, have already held this office continuously for two consecutive mandates. The calculation, however, runs from the current one to the entry into force of the regional law, so De Luca would go for the second mandate and not the third. After heated meetings between the Dem group and the former mayor of Salerno and a call with the national party, seven out of eight councilors voted in favor (Bruna Fiola abstained). In a political document signed by the entire majority there is a note: the vote on the third term does not translate into the indication of De Luca’s candidacybecause the name of the candidate belongs to the coalition. Whether it is a way to move the problem further or a concrete position, we will understand with time. Meanwhile, tomorrow the law on the third term arrives in the Council and De Luca needs 26 presences in the chamber to guarantee a quorum.

The ‘governor’ can count on a majority of up to 33 votes, so those of the Democratic Party could be decisive if the group were to split. The M5s remains on the sidelines and, in the event of a breakup and De Luca’s re-nomination without the symbol of the Democratic Party, it could play its cards to build the wide field, perhaps fielding two profiles such as Roberto Fico and Sergio Costa, on whom he could also find an agreement with the Democrats. The centre-right, meanwhile, exploits the tensions in the opposite camp and launches an attack on De Luca and the Dems. “There are two Pds, that of Rome and that of Naples. Simply ridiculous”, quips the regional commissioner of FdI, Antonio Iannone. A useful strategy to accentuate frictions in the opposing camp and, at the same time, to mask internal divisions over the choice of candidate. In short, if Athens cries, Sparta doesn’t laugh. Every time, in recent months, the discussion has moved on to the name to choose for the regionals, the level of conflict has immediately risen.

After the Sangiuliano-Boccia affair, which effectively canceled the possible ambitions of the former Minister of Culture, the two most accredited names at the moment are that of Deputy Foreign Minister Edmondo Cirielli, in FdI quota, and Fulvio Martusciello. The head of FI’s delegation to the European Parliament has never hidden his aspirations and, in recent weeks, has multiplied his attacks on De Luca and the Democratic Party, even going so far as to ask for the early end of the council if the rule on the third mandate is rejected. Martusciello has always specified that the candidate will be chosen by the national leaders, but the support of the national secretary Antonio Tajani appears quite obvious. The regional coordinator of the Azzurri is ready to play all his cards. And internal polls commissioned by circles close to the centre-right see him as favored both in a direct clash with De Luca and in a three-way challenge.

The choice to run in Campania, however, may not be easy for him, given that he has an important role in Brussels and has supported Tajani in consolidating ties with the EPP. Even Manfred Weber, however, expressed support for him while saying that his would be a significant loss. If FdI and FI highlight the consensus obtained during the latest national and local elections, the League does not want to stand by and watch. No escapes forward and personalism, underlines the group leader in the Regional Council, Severino Nappi, postponing the choice to the national table. And it is no coincidence that Nappi speaks of the next Regionals as a “maturity test for the ruling class“. A reminder to the allies not to repeat the mistakes of the past, when the center-right in Naples and Campania arrived divided and late at the electoral deadlines, paving the way for the center-left’s victories in the Regional and Municipal elections of Naples.