When the breaking latest news agency broke the news of the possible resignation from the Government of the head of delegation of the League and Minister of Development, Giancarlo Giorgetti, the Mattarella bis was already (almost) certain. Mario Draghi had spoken with the leaders of the majority parties and had confronted the President from whom he had received the willingness to move forward. The picture was then defined and the premier headed towards the highway to reach Città della Pieve and have lunch with his wife away from the poisons of the capital, where he will return in the next few hours to restart with the engines at full speed. The re-election of Sergio Mattarella – commented the premier in the evening, immediately after the vote – is splendid news for Italians. I am grateful to the President for his choice to support the very strong will of Parliament to re-elect him for a second term ».
The abandonment aired by one of the main exponents of the government took him by surprise. Also because Giorgetti is among the closest to Draghi. So much so that someone whispers that the minister’s exit (Resignation? “It’s a hypothesis, maybe the team needs to be improved …”, Giorgetti replied to the Chamber) was linked to the disappointment for the failure to climb the Colle dell ‘ current prime minister who was among the first to predict. A telephone clarification was enough to bring back the possible farewell. Shortly after, in fact, the number two of the Carroccio will specify that the resignation is not on the table and, at the end of a long meeting with Matteo Salvini, the leader of the Carroccio himself will announce that he has agreed a three-way meeting with Draghi for tomorrow at Palazzo Chigi. “The government works very well and goes on, but we need a code of conduct,” Giorgetti later said, confirming that he will be at work tomorrow. The Minister of Development seems to want to take on concerns that are certainly not his only. “Next year, if you don’t know, I will remind you, there are administrative elections, fairly divisive referendums, which I hope will not block the activity of Parliament and the government. With all the problems we have, we need coordinated and decisive government action ”. Here, the point is precisely this: the risk that the year remaining between now and the end of the legislature will turn into a long electoral campaign in which everyone will play to make their own.
Giorgetti obviously refers first of all to the majority “allies” and in particular to the Pd and M5s. “Things in the government must change,” say both Salvini and the minister. But perhaps there is also an unspoken among the words of the Lega head delegation, namely the concern for the possible fibrillations that will unleash in the Lega house, with Salvini forced to deal with the competition of Giorgia Meloni who will hit hard by the opposition on the government of which the Carroccio is one of the main shareholders.
After all, there have been episodes of tension in the 12 months that have just passed. Just think of Salvini’s stances on restrictive measures to stem the epidemic (from the green pass to the vaccination obligation) which Giorgetti had to take on first. Certainly there are not only the discontent of the Northern League leader to deal with. Just think of the M5s fibrillation on the justice reform. But with the electoral deadlines approaching, the numerous tussles – from competition to land registry, from seaside resorts to fiscal measures, from social safety nets to pensions – will inevitably multiply. Draghi, however, intends to ignore them. A Council of Ministers will be held tomorrow (barring surprises) for some expiring measures, followed by another between Thursday and Friday.
The premier wants to run. The game on the Quirinale inevitably weighed on the executive’s activity and we need to recover. The Giorgetti case is closed: “We are counting on him” is the only comment that comes from Palazzo Chigi. But the possibility that the current owner of the Development should be replaced immediately rekindled rumors about possible changes in the government team.