Silvio Berlusconi’s step backwards from the race to the Quirinale, during the center-right summit and a few hours after the expiry of the ultimatum given by Matteo Salvini, sparked the reactions of allies and opponents. Among the first are Salvini and the leader of the Brothers of Italy, Giorgia Meloni. For the secretary of the Carroccio, “the choice of the Knight is decisive and fundamental, it renders a great service to Italy and to the center-right”, which now “will have the honor and responsibility to advance its proposals without more vetoes from the left”. From Meloni instead comes appreciation for the “responsibility” of the Forza Italia leader. And just about the future of the party, of which he belongs, tweeted the deputy Elio Vito, according to which “for how they have behaved in recent years and on this occasion, Forza Italia should get rid of its allies and Berlusconi of its leaders and ministers”. For the Minister for Regional Affairs and Autonomies Mariastella Gelmini, on the other hand, Berlusconi “confirms once again his sense of the state, his constant commitment to a better Italy, his putting the interests of the country before those of a single party policy. His candidacy would not have been divisive and indeed his ascent to the Colle would have been an opportunity for national pacification. Now it will be up to the center-right, a political coalition with the relative majority of the big electors, to put forward a proposal for the presidency of the Republic ».
From the opponents’ front comes the comment of Giuseppe Conte, leader of the Five Star Movement: «We had stated it clearly: Silvio Berlusconi’s candidacy was inadmissible. With his retirement we take a step forward and begin a serious confrontation between the political forces to offer the country a high-profile, authoritative, widely shared figure “. While Enrico Letta, secretary of the Democratic Party, warns: «The center right is not a majority and therefore has no right of pre-emption on the Quirinale. We have said it from the beginning. Now with Berlusconi’s withdrawal and the clash that exploded within the center-right, everything is clear. Now we need a high agreement on a shared name and a Legislature Pact ».
The dem Andrea Marcucci underlines Berlusconi’s “responsible decision” and invites the center-left and center-right to “work for a shared candidacy. The need for unity in the country must be a priority for all those who care about the country’s future “.