Either all or none. The idea of the leaders’ candidacy, which Giorgia Meloni put forward in the meeting with journalists at the beginning of the year, opens the reflection in the centre-right, with Antonio Tajani thus translating the prime minister’s invitation while the coalition struggles, in the same hours, to heal the fracture that risks materializing in Sardinia, with the League and the Sardinian Action party insisting on the outgoing Christian Solinas for the Regionals while the local table had voted by majority for Paolo Truzzu, mayor of Cagliari of Fdi. An impasse that will have to be resolved soon, and which is accompanied by the tensions that are also registered on the left where Renato Soru says he is ready to take a step backwards in the name of a unified proposal. Which cannot, however, be that of the 5S Alessandra Todde.
The spring electoral round which, Sardinia aside, could take place in a major election day on 9 June with the merging of local and European elections, effectively monopolizes the internal debate on both sides. The “personalization” of the clash, is the warning that Andrea Orlando sends to the secretary Elly Schlein, is not “good for the Democratic Party”. But the polarization has now begun, starting from the expected TV duel between the two leaders. Both are called to dissolve the reservation on a candidacy which, moreover, with the alternation between men and women envisaged by the electoral mechanism, also opens up a question for both of them on the front of female candidates. The Prime Minister has clearly made it clear that she intends to take the field first Of course, in order not to distract himself too much from his commitment as head of government, Meloni could only participate in a few electoral events but his name on the lists, his people are convinced, would be a good driving force for Fdi, which aims to replicate, if not overcome the outcome of the policies.
If “the prime minister and the two deputy prime ministers run at the same time, I believe there is a risk that the government’s priorities will be lost sight of” However, Tajani puts his hands forward, who had already made his possible choice on the candidacy dependent on the holding of the FI congress at the end of February. Words that in the majority are read as a “brake” on the idea of presenting oneself in person: in the European elections there are preferences, one of the recurring reasonings, and the outcome of the vote would inevitably be a count that might not be painless for everyone. For the moment, however, no summits are scheduled to address the issue – even Matteo Salvini, they say, has not decided but would prefer not to run – just as there are no appointments for that “national table” which should resolve the Sardinian issue. A table for the administrative elections was opened some time ago by the minister Francesco Lollobrigida with the allies and it could be the one called to find a solution. Otherwise the ball would pass to the leaders.
At the same time, the centre-left is also talking about voting locally and for the European Parliament. The 5 Star Movement should follow its procedures, with online voting, while Giuseppe Conte should not run. The situation is different for Schlein. The PD secretary, who threw down the gauntlet accepted by the prime minister, has not yet dissolved her reservation and in her case in any case it should not be a question of candidacy in all the constituencies. She could do it, the reasoning goes among the Dems, on the occasion of the PSE congress which will be held in Rome on 1 and 2 March. But a series of variables arise from her choice, starting with the entry into the field of PD president Stefano Bonaccini. Unless there is a green light for the third term on which the prime minister has left the floor to Parliament (which could perhaps be done, we reason, but starting from scratch, starting with those who start with new elections, and which would not involve the incumbents , from Bonaccini himself to Luca Zaia). But his arrival in Strasbourg would open up the scenario of an early vote in Emilia Romagna which the Fdi are looking at with interest.