Donato Fasano via Getty Images
–
The numbers in the Senate are thinning. Matteo Salvini’s words, which sound like a showdown, make 5Stelle’s nerves jump. That there is a hostile hostile takeover towards the 5 Star Movement is well known but to flag it like this is another thing: “In the next few days in the League there will be several entries of mirrored people, who will bring their added value, will come from the 5 Stars but not only ”, the former minister announces. Several names are circulating and the fear is growing in the majority in view of the vote on the European Stability Mechanism. This could be the moment of the tear, of the mini grill split that is being talked about with increasing insistence, especially in the corridors of the Senate.
Thus began a blow and response to vitriol between the M5s head of delegation Alfonso Bonafede and the League leader. “In place of Salvini I would not be so proud to take parliamentarians who cheat because I believe that when a person does not want to be in a political force anymore, we would miss that does not happen, but at what point do you pack and resign”, says the Minister of Justice.
Immediate reply from the League secretary: “The only traitors are the elect of the 5 Star Movement like Bonafede: they shouted ‘honesty’ and sent home hundreds of criminals from jail, swore ‘never with the Democratic Party’ and now they govern us, insulted Renzi and now they are with Italy alive which is also formed by ex-Fi … ”, Salvini replies.
The days go by with the abacus in hand. The passage of Senator Alessandra Riccardi to the League was only the last step. In the corridors of Palazzo Madama there are rumors of new expulsions or future farewells. The names of Marinella Pacifico and Tiziana Drago in the smell of the League are mentioned. But it is not excluded that Mario Giarrusso, who has passed through the Misto group, may now also join Savini’s party. There are also those who, like Mattia Crucioli, admit “divergences”, yet “surmountable”.
The risk is having to chase every single senator in every vote asking him to be present in the Chamber, which has already happened when there was a vote on the Elections decree. “The goal now is to earthquake Giuseppe Conte”, a grill exponent vents. Salvini is doing everything to empty the 5 Star Movement, to make it more fragile and to thin the numbers of the Senate group to have an increasingly narrow majority. The idea that the Northern League leader has in mind – according to what the grillini can guess in these hours – provides two possibilities. Either drop the government in the absence of sufficient numbers or wait for Forza Italia at the gate to see if it is ready to help the executive. In both cases Salvini would emerge victorious and this is why scouting in the Senate is becoming increasingly pressing. The numbers are so dancers that not even the 5Stelle group can give the aut-aut to the senators who resist the “refunds”. The risk of accidents in the Chamber is too high and should be reduced as much as possible in the coming weeks.
–
