“The forecasts said that we would last a maximum of six months, the financial storm would arrive, Italy would default, no one would want to shake Meloni’s hand at an international level. Then they all woke up sweating…”. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni takes the stage at the ‘Magazzino del Cotton’ in the ancient port of Genoa to close the electoral campaign in support of the centre-right candidate in Liguria, Marco Bucci, together with all the leaders of the coalition. Golden glittery sweater and sneakers, the prime minister immediately goes on the attack on the left, claiming to have kept the promise made to voters when she arrived in the ‘button room’ at Palazzo Chigi: “I promised that we would overturn the predictions and after two years we have to ask ourselves who was right.”
A standing ovation for her: the only dissonant note, the group of beach entrepreneurs with red uniforms who stood up in protest against the Bolkestein directive (‘We ask for the correct application of the directive and the sentences of the European Court of Justice’, the writing on a sign displayed outside the Auditorium, then the meeting of one of their delegations with the Prime Minister who invites them to Palazzo Chigi).
Maneuver and justice
The president of Fratelli d’Italia defends the budget law just passed (“a common sense maneuver that focuses on real priorities, doesn’t waste even a single euro on idiotic things”) and the justice reform (“they say we want control of politics on the judiciary, in reality the reform says that Parliament no longer elects part of the CSM and in case we take away control of politics on the judiciary”). In particular, he returns to the case of Judge Patarnello’s email: “The vast majority of magistrates just want to be able to do their job and can no longer stand the politicized currents of the judiciary.” Hence the promise that he will not retreat on the key points of the government agenda: “We will also move forward with the reforms: justice, premiership and autonomy”.
Meloni has no doubts about the final outcome of the Ligurian vote: “Until a few weeks ago the left was already singing victory, anticipating a landslide victory. Then they went back to dealing with reality.” Then the attack against Giuseppe Conte begins to counter the criticisms of the M5S leader on the increases in the allowances contained in the budget law and to reiterate his negative opinion on the super bonus: “It really takes a face of Carrara marble to argue that it is more should have been done on minimum pensions.” The former prime minister’s response is ready, when questioned by Adnkronos he remarks: “Meloni has the face of a serial liar to only talk about the costs and not the returns of the super bonus on employment and growth of the country, not to mention the 209 billion that we left her…”.
The two years of government
Meloni reels off the ‘facts’ of his government and escalates his attack on the opposition: “We continue to make the left look through the keyhole, they have fun like this. In the meantime, we work and remain united.” The prime minister focuses on the hot topic of resources for healthcare: “Are they accusing us of cutting money for healthcare? With this maneuver there will be 136.5 billion euros. Do you have a phone? Take the calculator for a moment and calculate 136, 5 minus 114.5. From 2019 to today there is a difference of twenty-two billion euros in the healthcare fund… How anyone can argue that this means cutting money on healthcare is an absolute mystery to me really poor at mathematics – he jokes – we will give him a calculator…”.
The Prime Minister praises Bucci without ever mentioning the challenger Andrea Orlando: “We have put the best man on the field. I think that for the Region it is a great opportunity to be able to have a man like Marco as president”. And he thanks the centre-right frontrunner for accepting the challenge despite his illness, defining the attacks aimed at him as “obscene”. The final rally is also the occasion for the debut at a centre-right demonstration of the mayor of Terni Stefano Bandecchi who ‘opens’ the speeches of the leaders: “Bucci will be the beginning of a new era. Tomorrow’s game is being played here, difficult, don’t waste time, call your friends, those who haven’t been to vote for years Liguria, Emilia and Umbria were thinking of a 3-0, today they know that a 1-2 will be possible…”.
Maurizio Lupi, leader of ‘Noi Moderati’ quotes Silvio Berlusconi: “We are a team, the Meloni government is becoming a model. Like it or not, a political government is back: Berlusconi said that true morality is not the honesty to which we must all stick to it clearly, but the morality of doing. The essence of politics is doing.”
Antonio Tajani, national secretary of Fi, lashes out at Bucci (“Whoever wants to build is stronger than those who want to destroy, this was Bucci in Genoa and will be in Liguria”), lashes out at Orlando (“He’s from the extreme left, he’s not a moderate”), reiterating that the “game is won at the centre”. The Foreign Minister shows the way for the Azzurri: “There is also a large space for former voters of the Democratic Party who are looking for points of reference. Forza Italia must seek not the votes of the League or the Brothers of Italy but those votes of the former PD to broaden the electoral platform.”
Matteo Salvini is also harsh against the left: “Judging by the loving relationship between Conte, Grillo, Renzi and the rest of the world, the wide field has been reduced to a little game of burraco…”. The number one of the League does not forget the Toti era where everything started (“If we are here it is also thanks to his management, there is nothing to cancel”) asks the coalition to “stay united” and also exalts strength Bucci’s physics: “Human pain and compassion for those who used Marco Bucci’s health as a political argument, little men…”.
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