For Matteo Salvini the fractures and possible splits within the League are “journalistic fantasies” that nobody cares about, “especially the tenants of public housing who are waiting for the renovation of their homes”. The secretary of the League and Minister of Infrastructure and Transport has in fact visited some Aler buildings in the Gratosoglio district of Milan on which a qualification plan (as part of the Pinqua project) has started by the Lombardy Region with funds from the Pnrr.
There will be no expulsions from the party, the secretary still assures reporters: neither MEP Angelo Ciocca nor the former secretary of the Lombard League, Paolo Grimoldi, both coordinators of the Northern Committee wanted by Senator Umberto Bossi. “I will meet him too”, continues Salvini, pressed by journalists, “because I meet everyone”. It is clear, however, that the secretary does not want to talk about the problems in the Lega house. He prefers a jab to the majority allies: “Milan is not only the first of La Scala but also the peripheral districts”, alluding to the presence of Prime Minister Meloni and other exponents of the Brothers of Italy and Forza Italia at Piermarini last night. Salvini then reiterates that “the economic maneuver, criticized by Confindustria, Bankitalia and CGIL is right because it helps minimum pensions, those who have salaries that do not exceed 1500 euros a month and help VAT numbers and those who cannot pay the bills”.
Then he relaunches his goal for MIT: «My goal as minister is to launch a new major housing plan within the legislature: there are many investors and private funds who want to invest in residential construction in Italy and not just in luxury hotels» , has explained. «I will open a window to the Ministry that has not existed up to now for the attraction of public and private funds», he added, «and not only for large infrastructures. We can’t do it with public funds alone, on home transport and railways we will gladly welcome private ones ».
He also reiterated the government’s position on the Tav. The march of the No Tav committees in Valsusa is in fact scheduled today: “We will overcome the professionals of the no and we will go straight like trains, we have an Italian-French meeting next week” which will be attended by the minister transalpine. “There will be me and a European commissioner. If we listened to the lords of the “no” we would not do anything», he added, giving the example of how «no» limit the progress of the works: «It is surreal that new and safe stadiums are being built abroad in a few years, giving work to many people and in Milan we have been talking for years without having laid a stone for a new stadium that Milan needs». The reference is to the San Siro affair for which “there would be one billion and three hundred million investments”.
Then, on the news relating to the Chinese secret police in Milan, the former interior minister said he knew nothing about it: «I’ll talk about it with Minister Piantedosi. When I was at the Interior, I didn’t know anything about it, maybe something has happened in recent years », explained the minister. «I have excellent relations with the Chinese community in Milan, but with the official one, I don’t know if there are parallel services. It would be serious.”
Finally, to those who asked him for confirmation on the dates of the vote for the Lombardy regional elections, he replied: “That of February 12 seems established, even if the date is proposed by the Minister of the Interior”. And to those who asked him if the government would give a favorable opinion on the second day of voting announced for the 13th, he replied: “For me, the more people vote the better, if we vote on Sundays and also on Mondays, I’m happy”.