The Ronzulli era is waning in Lombardy. Replaced Cattaneo as team leader
Alessandro Cattaneo is no longer the group leader of Forza Italia in the Chamber. Paolo Barelli returns in his place, believed to be close to Antonio Tajani, already at the helm of the group in Montecitorio from October 2021 to last September. Licia Ronzulli remains the group leader of FI in the Senate. So says the note signed by Silvio Berlusconi which puts an end to weeks of rumors about the bad moods against the two group leaders. Although it cannot be said with certainty that the change will put an end to internal party tensions. Cattaneo, explains the Knight, will be the deputy national coordinator of the party, alongside the minister Anna Maria Bernini, with responsibility for territorial organization. In addition to Barelli’s indication, Berlusconi anticipates that “in the coming weeks” he will announce “the new structure of Forza Italia throughout its organization” and appoint new regional coordinators, including cui Alessandro Sorte, who ‘snatched’ the leadership of the party in Lombardy from Ronzulli.
The other coordinators are: for Basilicata: Maria Elisabetta Casellati; for Emilia Romagna, Rosaria Tassinari; for Molise, Claudio Lotito; for Sicily, Marcello Caruso; for Tuscany, Marco Stella; and for Veneto, Flavio Tosi. Berlusconi’s note comes after days of high tension in the party. FI has been boiling for weeks, at least since the Regionals of 12-13 February. In particular, the two group leaders of the Chamber and Senate, Ronzulli and Cattaneo, ended up in the crosshairs. The former, whose relations with Silvio Berlusconi’s partner Marta Fascina are considered deteriorated, are accused, among other things, of some choices in the formation of the Lombard junta (from which, for example, Bergamo members of FI are absent). But the criticisms of Ronzulli and Cattaneo parallel a ‘movement’ by FI towards a more governmental position, closer to Giorgia Meloni, ‘sponsored’ by Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani, and by the renewed ‘axis’ with Gianni Letta, who, historic advisor to the Cavaliere, participates in the table with the allies on the appointments of the top management of the subsidiaries. Many had already been waiting yesterday evening for the announcement of the change of group leader in the Chamber.
Rumors had also spread of a collection of signatures in support of the change of leadership in Montecitorio in favor of Barelli, former group leader, whose election in 2021 gave rise to the then blue ministers Mariastella Gelmini, Mara Carfagna and Renato Brunetta. Some spoke of 33 deputies out of 44 in favour. But it seems that there was no actual collection of signatures, more an informal ‘consultation’ to verify ‘who is with whom’. “In Forza Italia at the moment there is only a normal internal dialectic”, denied the former Northern League now FI deputy Flavio Tosi, the only one to speak, before Berlusconi’s note. “If it is true that some parliamentarians have collected signatures to discourage the group leader Cattaneo? It’s not true, there’s nothing like that, I didn’t sign anything. In any case, president Berlusconi is there for any decision, I will eventually vote for whichever group leader is indicated to me by the president”.
Meanwhile, in the party there are already those who point out that Barellifor over twenty years president of the Italian swimming federation, ended up in the sights of the world federation’s ethical panel who, at the beginning of March, fined him around 300,000 for receiving over 3,000 euros a month from World Aquatics for eight years, from 2009 to 2017, without being entitled to it. After the decision arrived at the beginning of March, Barelli will also have to serve a one-year suspension from any activity linked to the International Federation and its affiliates in the individual countries. According to what is learned, Cattaneo would have ended up in the crosshairs especially for the negotiation for the election of the presidents and vice presidents of the bicameral assembly, which is traditionally managed by group presidents. The accusation made by some deputies would be that he was not effective enough in negotiations with allies who do not view him favorably because he is considered not close to the ‘Melonian’ line.
The ‘front’ in the Chamber would be led in particular by three deputies, believed to be close to Fascina. We are talking about the new Lombard coordinator Sorte di Treviglio and Stefanio Benigni di Alzano Lombardo, both from the province of Bergamo and from Tullio Ferrante of San Giorgio in Cremano, in the Neapolitan area. The first signs of Ronzulli’s ‘removal’ were seen in some absences of the historic collaborator in the Cavaliere’s outings, such as the lunch organized by Sorte and Benigni in Bergamo last Saturday. After various press backgrounds, Fascina – whose declarations are rare – intervened on Monday with a note aimed at denying the birth of a current inspired by her. In the press release, Me did not spare strong criticism against those who, “in search of visibility” animate the “daily, useless and harmful counter-voices”, “solitary voices” in a party like FI which “has always been loyal” to the Meloni government.
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