“Horrifying”. Sinister maneuvers against the government – ​​

“They want to investigate Arianna Meloni” This opening title of the the newspaper accompanied by Alessandro Sallusti’s editorial ignites the political debate. From the exponents of Fratelli d’Italia comes a barrage of comments of solidarity towards the head of the political secretariat of the party for the use of an alleged “Palamara method” against the sister of the prime minister. While the leader of Italia Viva, Matteo Renzi, does not mince his words: “Sallusti hypothesizes a conspiracy. In short: the judiciary, a part of the newspapers and Italia Viva would have agreed to organize a conspiracy and investigate Arianna for influence peddling”. Then he asks: “Do the Meloni sisters see ghosts? On this Sunday in August we have to respond to the aggressions of Fratelli d’Italia and the conspiracy anxieties of the prime minister’s family”. Then, with reference to the parliamentary questions presented by Maria Elena Boschi and Raffaella Paita after some press articles on an alleged “activism” of the prime minister’s sister on the dossiers of the Rai and Fs nominations, Renzi assures: “If anyone thinks of stopping the democratic initiatives of Italia Viva and its parliamentary groups, that someone should know that people like us have suffered real judicial and social attacks. The insults of those who cannot answer us on the merits do not stop us, but they encourage us to move forward with even more determination”. The leader of Iv addresses the tenant of Palazzo Chigi directly: “We ask Giorgia Meloni to distance herself from those who insult and to answer our questions on the merits in Parliament”.

The alarm raised by Sallusti worries the Melonians. “A shameful combination, and no longer tolerable, used to draw the attention of the judiciary to Arianna, with the obvious aim of hitting – on the basis of totally invented facts – a government legitimately elected by the citizens. Full solidarity with Arianna Meloni and a message to the professional troublemakers: ‘You will not pass'”, thunders the leader of the FdI group in the Chamber, Tommaso Foti. The Undersecretary of Justice, Andrea Delmastro Delle Vedove, speaks of a “scenario that is nothing short of horrifying”. He blurts out: “The other day we went too far by associating the magic word ‘influence’ with Arianna Meloni and therefore indirectly accusing her of a crime: influence peddling. We are convinced that the now evident attempt to fuel a ‘media’ and perhaps even judicial storm will come to nothing”.

For his part, Giovanni Donzelli, deputy and head of organization of FdI, clarifies: “Arianna has done nothing wrong. If she had committed some crime, it would be right to investigate and verify, but Arianna’s only fault is that of being Giorgia’s sister. Since the beginning of the government experience, left-wing newspapers and political groups have begun to describe Arianna as the great manipulator of government appointments, but Arianna does not deal with appointments”. And then he attacks: “Behind all this there could be an attempt to pollute democracy, influence, weaken and blackmail the Meloni government through this low and surreal blow to Arianna. A conspiracy of journalists, left-wing politicians and compliant magistrates to create a political event. Be careful, not to ascertain a hypothetical crime”.

On the Lega front, again, deputy secretary Andrea Crippa observes: “The scenario described by Il Giornale is decidedly worrying, that is, the desire to cripple the government with investigations. It is worrying because it is plausible, given that too often we have witnessed interference from part of the politicized judiciary to influence politics”. And for Enrico Costa, deputy of Azione, “here we go again. Sallusti launches the trailer of a film already seen too many times. A crime with a famous surname is evoked, the investigation opens, the behind the scenes stories in the newspapers, the requests for clarification in Parliament, the calls for resignations and in a few years, poof, everything disappears into nothingness”.