The League keeps track of Veneto. "You don’t change the team that wins"

“You don’t change a winning team”. The League keeps track of Veneto and thus claims the next candidate for the regional elections. An indispensable match in order not to disperse the “good governance” model. Therefore – third term or not for Luca Zaia, currently tied down by the law – the gubernatorial candidate can only be expression of the League.

It is the message that the federal council of the League – meeting today in the Chamber – entrusts to the allies of the majority. A message strengthened by the “total harmony” between Salvini and Zaia, the party assures. In short, the intention is to march together and maintain the pressure ‘curb’ the ambitions of FdI and FI after the prime minister herself, Giorgia Meloni (in the press conference at the beginning of the year) had remarked that for the centre-right candidate in Veneto, the Fratelli d’Italia “must be an option to take into consideration”.

The Northern League secretary himself outlines the party line. “The good governance of the League and Zaia in Veneto – said Salvini interviewed by Bruno Vespa on “Cinque Minuti” – he has been recognized at an international level for years, questioning him for political balances and Roman choices would not seem useful to me”, he remarks. “I am sure that with the allies we will find a solution “, explained the deputy prime minister of the League, recalling that in these two years “the League has been absolutely loyal towards the government in every vote. And the stability of the Italian government is a heritage that Europe is envying us and which is rewarding us economically. So there is no question of a government that will last all five years.”

The group leader in the Senate, Massimiliano Romeo, is more explicit in underlining how the League reiterated today that “it rightly wants to keep the Regions where it governs” and “then it is in Meloni’s interest, in the end, to find a satisfactory solution that will ensure – always said regarding the Veneto dossier – that loyal and collaborative allies are satisfied”. “Total harmony and sharing of objectives between Matteo Salvini, Luca Zaia and the entire federal council. Veneto is a model of good governance appreciated at a national and international level. For the League, the team that wins cannot be changed”, the note from the Lega is broadcast at lunchtime when the federal council is still in progress.

Participating in the two-hour meeting – in the Salvadori room of the Chamber – were among others the Northern League secretary Matteo Salvini, the deputy secretaries Andrea Crippa, Claudio Durigon and Alberto Stefani as well as the ministers Giancarlo Giorgetti and Roberto Calderoli. And Luca Zaia connected via Zoom, together with other governors of the Northern League. There was no lack of an assessment of the party’s membership also in view of the national congress (the date has not yet been set): “members and those elected have increased compared to last year. The mayors – underlined the League – have now become 500 , more than 5,000 councilors and municipal councilors, 150 councilors and regional councilors”.

Then a point was also made on the reforms with the relaunch of the direct election of provincial presidents. In particular, during the federal council “the desire to make it possible in Sicily as early as next spring was expressed” and an ad hoc amendment will be presented to the Chamber “to improve coordination between the different levels of government for the many emergencies to be faced in the Sicilian Region”. However, it was the Veneto dossier that took center stage.

The party line was also reaffirmed by the few jokes the journalists took from Giancarlo Giorgetti. Everyone at Zaia’s side? “Absolutely yes”replied the Minister of Economy before getting into the car. Will a team be found with the allies? “But yes, it can be found…”, the Lega representative cut short.

The Carroccio’s position was anticipated in the morning by the leader of the League in the Chamber, Riccardo Molinari. “The problem in Veneto is political – are the words of the Northern League deputy – if Zaia can no longer run, but the League has governed well, then who owns the Veneto region? If Meloni wants to keep the center-right together he must do as Berlusconi , not only look at the contingent electoral moment, but must evaluate the specificities of the individual parties. Given that the League has always been characterized as the party of territories and autonomy, the centre-right allies should take this peculiarity into account”.

In the reasoning of the Northern League representatives, the issue of the third mandate is not resolved. With the League against the restriction and the government determined to defend it having challenged the Campania law. A dossier that continues to heat up the debate between allies. “Our point of view is that whoever is chosen directly by the citizens should not have mandate limits so that in the end the sovereign people can evaluate whether they have administered well or badly. We note that this position is ours alone”, Molinari recalled. And the internal blows within the center-right regarding the third mandate are still vibrating.

“We’ll find a way to feed Zaia,” he said sarcastically FI group leader in the Senate, Maurizio Gasparrireplying to the Venetian governor. “The ban on the third term is an anomaly of our own. And it is sickening that the lesson comes from mouths that have been fed by Parliament for 30 years”, were Zaia’s words. Today the mayor of Milan also responded to the ‘Doge’. On the limit of the third mandate for governors “I agree with Zaia and De Luca, and I say more: this limit should not exist for mayors”, said Giuseppe Sala underlining that “taking lessons from those who have been in Parliament for Not even 30 years.”