Dear Director, the Parisian ones are over, the political Olympics have begun, with Antonio Tajani chasing medals in the form of deputies, a sort of reincarnation of Mino Raiola, the legendary footballers’ agent. The already loser Giuseppe Conte lives in terror of seeing his group further reduced, after the courageous departure of Senator Antonio Trevisi and several regional councilors. Moreover, grilline sources say another eight parliamentarians from the 5 Star Movement will leave in September. While Matteo Renzi is at a crossroads: continue to be supported and tolerated by the left or fly to Forza Italia, as perhaps the Berlusconi family would like and for obvious reasons certainly not Tajani, whose political activism also causes a bit of stomach ache for Giorgia Meloni who is used to having him at her disposal. According to a confidential survey that reached Palazzo Chigi, at least 30 percent of the votes for Fratelli d’Italia come from the fantastic world of Berlusconi. One wonders how long Tajani will want to keep his three roles together (FI secretary, deputy prime minister and foreign minister), especially in such a difficult international context. In much less intricate situations, other Italian leaders who were well anchored to the EPP like him, such as Amintore Fanfani and Ciriaco De Mita, were forced to take a step back. All the more reason for Tajani who today, having failed to take off his candidacy in Brussels to replace Ursula von der Leyen, who was immediately pragmatically supported for renewal, can legitimately aim for the Quirinale.
But to achieve this goal he must make room in the Forza Italia team that, even with him, is always in the hands of a magic circle of a few. A curse that has been repeated since the time of Berlusconi, who today, without the charisma of King Silvio, risks creating problems. But who are the men – yes, unfortunately only men – around the secretary of Forza Italia? Beyond two historic figures such as the group leaders of the Chamber and Senate, Paolo Barelli and Maurizio Gasparri, the rest of the platoon appears modest, starting with the agricultural entrepreneur and now spokesman Raffaele Nevi, a deputy from Umbria, more expert therefore in pumpkins than journalists, nicknamed the “tg traffic light” because he decides who should go on TV or not. Let’s see them referring to the “Fantastic Four”, the Marvel comics modeled on the four elements of nature. The Earth element is certainly represented by Francesco Battistoni, a 57-year-old deputy from Montefiscone, province of Viterbo, a peasant boss, with an appearance opposite to that which the Cavaliere liked: long, disheveled gray hair. Alessandro Battilocchio, the only member of the group who gets votes, approaches Fire without fear of getting burned. He is a 47-year-old deputy from Tolfa, province of Rome, where he was mayor for ten years, an old glorious socialist school of Gianni De Michelis. He cultivates his constituency as was once done among parish priests and nuns. The Water element instead suits the versatile Mauro D’Attis, a politician from Brindisi. Suffocated by Raffaele Fitto in Puglia, he sought protection in Tajani and when the Minister, whom Silvio had nicknamed “puppy”, moved to Fratelli d’Italia he couldn’t believe he was going to become regional commissioner for Forza Italia. He still boasts of being vice president of the Anti-Mafia Commission, where the president Chiara Colosimo does not let him touch the ball. Not to mention some intellectuals like Senator Francesco Silvestro in constant struggle with the subjunctives “I promised my wife that I would not run again”. Promise not fulfilled.
A woman would also like to be part of the “Fantastic Four”, representing the element Air. Who better than Letizia Moratti, generous supporter and new MEP? Her ability to uselessly twirl between Renzi and Calenda is well known. The last time she appeared was at the beautiful dinner organized by Barelli for a summer greeting at the Antico Circolo del Tiro al Volo, the favorite place of the Roman deep state. Dressed in white, she made her entrance like a queen and then sat down, however, not on the throne but on a normal chair to the indifference of those present. And her two last attendants, Alessandro Sorte and Stefano Benigni, nicknamed Stanlio and Ollio, who have a Tartuffe nose for those with little treasures behind them, can do little: first the bolted-down Marta Fascina from Arcore with her eclectic father, and now Letizia Moratti herself, who took them to Bucharest with her private jet offering them champagne. For the two “boys”, a mission to tell their grandchildren. On the other hand, they are well accustomed to surfing the sea of politics. They arrived in Parliament in 2018 from Lombardy thanks to Gregorio Fontana and Maria Stella Gelmini, immediately betrayed for Giovanni Toti, only to then return to Forza Italia, thanks to the good offices of Licia Ronzulli, unfaithful even with her for the aforementioned Marta, after having just smelled that the wind was changing in Arcore. But this is just “color”.
The meat in Forza Italia is elsewhere: Calabria and Campania, where the votes, unlike Lazio, are really there, thanks to the work of governor Roberto Occhiuto, not much loved by Tajani who sees him as a dangerous competitor, and Neapolitan MEP Fulvio Martusciello. Also, the question that everyone sometimes maliciously asks is always the same: which side is the Berlusconi family, owner of Forza Italia, on? Certainly, to honor its unique and unrepeatable founder, it does not want to know about the “Premierato” and is anchored to the EPP without ifs or buts. On justice and taxes, moreover, the reform will have to be real, while on civil rights, as on extra profits, the path has already been clearly marked by the firstborn Marina. Tajani, given his role in the government, is the right person to confront Meloni or is he too accommodating? And is the current ruling class up to these challenges? And perhaps it is precisely for this reason that in the secret rooms of Villa Grande, auditions have begun to recruit fresh talent still in service in civil society, in the wake of Franco Frattini and Antonio Catricalà. Who knows if Giorgia and Marina will talk about this in a super secret summit that someone seems to be preparing in Sardinia, perhaps to anticipate the descent into the field of Pier Silvio, annoyed by the projects of Fratelli d’Italia on the reorganization of the television system and increasingly tempted by the big leap. Perhaps without having to wait for the next Olympics.
NB Speaking of Forza Italia, we can’t help but wish Gianni Letta a happy birthday, who a few hours ago became little Filippo’s super great-grandfather.
#heir #Cav #view #Quirinale #Tempo
2024-08-13 00:20:28
