Fi’s choice to go along with the League’s line and not to vote for confidence in the Senate in the Draghi government, prompting the Prime Minister to go up to the Hill to resign, caused a fracture within the party.
Not just ministers
A clash that saw the exit of ministers, from the responsible for regional affairs and autonomies Mariastella Gelmini to the minister for public administration Renato Brunetta, to the minister for the South, Mara Carfagna. But to go in the direction of a tear were also parliamentarians. but not only: from the coordinator of Fi di Mantova Annalisa Baroni, to the deputy Roberto Caon, from senator Andrea Cangini to the Lombardy regional councilor for housing and social housing Alessandro Mattinzoli. Finally, in chronological order (the consideration is currently valid, as further defections are possible in the next few hours), the farewell of the former Paralympic athlete Giusy Versace, deputy.
The farewell of Versace
In the last few hours, Versace announced his farewell to Forza Italia, the party in which he had been active since 2018. “Four years ago I found in Forza Italia ideals and projects in which I reflected myself and which prompted me to lend my face to politics – he explained -, but today, with sadness, I have to take note of the current incompatibility between the events of these days and the values, above all respect for the dignity of each person, in which I have always believed and which I do not intend to betray. I would never have imagined ending this legislature with such bitterness and disappointment, feelings that today lead me to leave the group and resign from the posts entrusted to me, thanking for the trust placed in me ». Versace was among the few MPs to defend Maria Stella Gelmini the day the Minister of Regional Affairs was criticized for an interview against Fi’s decision to pull the plug from the Draghi executive.
The former Northern League of Maronian faith
The deputy Roberto Caon also said goodbye to Forza Italia. Caon, former Maronian League supporter who later joined Silvio Berlusconi. «I have always believed and carried forward in Parliament the liberal values of democracy, also guaranteed by the Atlantic Pact, of the free market and of the rights of the individual. Today Forza Italia no longer represents these ideals of freedom – he underlined him – and has reduced itself to the ribs of the most vulgar illiberal, racist and indifferent populism ».
The senator against the abuse of video games by young people
Senator Andrea Cangini left Forza Italia after voting for confidence in the Draghi government in dissent from Fi. Journalist (he was director of Il Resto del Carlino and QN Quotidiano Nazionale, in March 2022 some of his statements live on the Rai 1 channel and on his social profiles regarding the impact of social media, video games and technology in general on young people and the population, in particular he affirmed that video games are “comparable to cocaine” and that for those who use them “can only degenerate into abuse”.