ROME. Faced with the tragedy of the Marmolada, the tensions between Mario Draghi and the 5-star Movement must also be kept in suspense. With a text message yesterday morning, Giuseppe Conte reached the premier, who was flying towards Canazei, saying he was “available to postpone the meeting” scheduled for the afternoon at Palazzo Chigi. A short phone call between the two, shortly after, made it possible to postpone the face-to-face to tomorrow, at 16:30, but this does not mean, the Movement underline, that the “strong political unease” experienced by the Grillini leaders after the indiscretions disappears according to which the premier would have suggested to Beppe Grillo to download Conte and support Luigi Di Maio’s project.
The danger of a government crisis is still alive, although Conte is convinced, at this moment, of the need to remain within the majority. The speaker of the Chamber Roberto Fico, who warns us from Naples: “We are a parliamentary democracy, we must reach agreements, as we have done in recent years on various issues, but we must always go straight, in some way, in our own direction” . This is supported by the two pentastellated ministers Federico D’Incà and Fabiana Dadone, as well as most of the undersecretaries, but half of its vice-presidents and most of the parliamentarians are rowing in the opposite direction. The impression, within the party, is that Conte was unable to convey valid reasons to stay. Reasons that the former prime minister hopes to be able to offer after his meeting with Draghi, returning with reassurances on the defense of the grilline flag measures. This will be discussed in the National Council of the party, scheduled for yesterday and moved, after the postponement of the appointment with the premier, to Wednesday morning. “We want a change of attitude on the part of Palazzo Chigi towards us”, let the Movement know. Starting from the citizenship income, the pivotal measure of the grillina experience in this legislature, which for the Five stars can be revised, but not resized as the executive would like. A first olive branch from Draghi could come by withdrawing the amendment that imposes a tightening on income, introducing the obligation not to refuse more than twice the job offers that come from private individuals (and no longer only from centers for employment) to avoid losing your benefit.
But that the fibrillations have not faded at all with the passing of days is shown by the discussion started yesterday in the Chamber on the Aid decree. A rain of fire interventions by M5S deputies submerged the text upon its arrival in the Chamber. At the center of the controversy there is above all the article that provides for the attribution of special powers to the mayor of Rome for the construction of an incinerator. Already in May the Aid dl had been approved in the Council of Ministers with the noisy abstention of the M5S and Conte ministers had been clear: “I hope you don’t even remotely think of reducing confidence on the incinerator rule”. Instead of trust, we are talking about it, because the government could already place it tomorrow, given the tight deadline to approve the decree. From the upper echelons of the party they throw water on the fire: “We will not cause a tear on a decree with 25 billion euros to help families and businesses”, but we are also looking for a way out. The idea of asking for trust only from Article 15 onwards, leaving out the disputed rule on the incinerator, is difficult to apply because Lega, Forza Italia and Pd should also agree, which instead do not want to know. The most concrete hypothesis, therefore, is that the Five Stars vote against the single article on the incinerator, and then vote confidence on the entire text of the decree.
In the grilline rows they say they are “aware of the rubbish emergency in Rome”, but ask that an eco-sustainable plant be designed instead of the incinerator. And in the Chamber, during the discussion, they reaffirm this in battery. For the deputy Francesca Flati it is “a truly unacceptable rule, because it has absolutely nothing to do with aid to families and businesses”. She echoes Alberto Zolezzi, “let’s build it in Montecitorio!”. And not satisfied with the provocation, he also raises the bar on the councilor for waste in Rome, Sabrina Alfonsi, calling her “the councilor for Cosa Nostra”. Open up heaven. The allies of the Democratic Party arise, with whom relations have recently been stormy, “an unacceptable attack”, “shameful”, “apologize”, so much so that Zolezzi is forced to return sadly to his words: “I have expressed myself too succinctly and with inappropriate terms’. Then there remain the problems of the “insufficient” measures to combat expensive energy, the group leader Davide Crippa points out, while Riccardo Fraccaro takes sides in defense of the super bonus: “Blocking it without alternatives is madness”. All themes that Conte promised to bring to the negotiating table with Draghi. With the hope that the premier will help him to bring solid reasons to the pentastellate troops to remain in government.