Mr Minardo, why did the League desert the majority summit?
“Saturday evening I received a polite text message of invitation from President Musumeci, to which I replied, with equal grace, that I would not be able to be there due to parliamentary commitments in Rome”.
He could send someone in his place. And in any case, a malaise emerges from the summit, in the Sicilian center-right, which is not only of the League.
«Reading the newspapers, the theme of the summit is not very gratifying. For me, as an insider, and also for public opinion ».
It looks like a coded message. What it means?
“I mean that the League is not interested in full appointments or in ratifying bilateral exchanges of proxies.”
The Falcone-Race exchange is not done. Perhaps the former health councilor will soon return to his post.
«I was clear about Ruggero from day one. I would have nothing against it if it returned to its place. But can we also talk about other things? ».
Play the joker of the topic at will. Please: what do you want to talk about?
«Of the reforms that must be made in the last year and a half of the legislature. Very well: we are loyal to the government and to the Ars. Already during the financial year we called for a change of pace, a last sprint which unfortunately did not arrive. But the most urgent reforms, in the midst of the Covid crisis, are things that must be done immediately. Refreshments to businesses, the restart of the economic and production system, a plan for the tourist season, the “Covid free” islands we have been invoking for some time and on which we started late. There is no need for summits to give Sicilians answers on these issues. A coalition connection, on the other hand, would be necessary to focus on a Recovery that invests in the environment, waste and health care as an infrastructure, and to reform the bureaucracy, rather than attack it, with the formation and regeneration of the management team. Here, we would like to talk about all this ».
Instead, tell us about the 2022 Regionals. Musumeci wants to reapply. If at the next summit you bring out the supporting document, which is already ready on Tuesday evening, will you sign it?
«I am not speaking about a document whose content I do not know. I’m just saying that the League is working on a united and inclusive center-right. It is better to talk about names and candidacies at the end of the year, if not at the beginning of 2022 ».
But a convention is already scheduled for June to launch Musumeci’s re-nomination.
«I understand that, under the Draghi decree, conferences are prohibited until July. Maybe they have information that we do not have, given that we have had to postpone the general states of tourism scheduled in these days in Sicily. Seriously, it is still too early to launch candidacies that in any case will be examined, as it should be, even at the national center-right table ».
A table where Salvini will claim the candidate for governor in Sicily.
«Salvini will do the right thing at the right time. For the moment I can say that the Lega, in Sicily, has no foreclosure, but at the same time it feels it has all the right cards to have its say in the 2022 Regionals ».