Stefano Rizzi 07:00 Tuesday 16 April 2024
The survey on the European elections in the constituency rewards the Northern League’s identity line. “The electoral base is here waiting for answers on our issues. The vote forecasts scuttle the Italian attempt with Forza Nord”. Ready to respond to friendly fire on the Calderoli reform
“I always look at polls with great caution, but these data tell us important things.” Those referred to by the group leader in the Chamber of the League and party secretary in Piedmont, Riccardo Molinariare the data of BiDiMedia survey exclusively for the Draft on voting intentions for the European elections in the North West constituency, published yesterday. It’s not that much 28.4% of Brothers of Italy surprisingly given the forecast of Melonian success also in this electoral round, how much that 13.2% of the party of Matteo Salvini decidedly higher, but this is also in the forecasts, compared to the national critical threshold of 8, but definitely ahead of the 7.9% of Forza Italiathat is, the party that aspires to reach its ally by threatening it with a possible overtaking.
Instead, Mr Molinari, at least in this part of the country it seems that you will be able to look at the distant blues in the rearview mirror. Before even talking about the ally, however, a look at home: if the North holds out beyond predictions and fears, won’t you say that it is the result of the nationalist and sovereignist line, with a slide to the right held by Salvini?
“AND It is clear that the social, electoral and militant base of the League is in the North. Therefore issues such as the northern question and greater autonomy for the Regions are the ones on which we expect Rome to bring home results”.
You, in good company but also with someone who claims the opposite, have been explaining for some time that if you don’t want to fall, you have to tie yourself hand and foot to the identity themes of the League. Now he also has the numbers on her side.
“Underlining the fact that on 29 April the text on autonomy produced by Roberto Calderoli arrives at the Chamber and we are in the home stretch for its approval is certainly an argument that consolidates what is our social and electoral base which is in the Northern regions”.
We were talking about Forza Italia, will you be able to keep it at a safe distance to avoid if not overtaking, then a rear-end collision?
“I don’t know how the national figure will end, but I think that Forza Italia, if it manages to keep it at a distance in the North, means one clear thing: the voters have the intelligence to understand that the operation conducted in recent times trying to occupy and that Antonio Tajani’s party should take charge of the northern question is not credible.”
Does Forza Nord, the internal current of Forza Italia created and nourished by former Northern League members, from Flavio Tosi to Marco Reguzzoni via the Piedmontese Roberto Cota, represent a risk for the League?
“I can understand the attempt to take on those who are dissatisfied with the League, but if someone is dissatisfied with our party I doubt they see the alternative in Forza Italia which is in any case a party historically with a strong Southern traction, which has its governors from the South who try to oppose autonomy, which in Europe supports Ursula von der Lyen and therefore policies that damage Northern businesses. Let’s say that it seems to me to be a somewhat reckless operation to try to keep both feet, creating the European People’s Party, liberal and Christian Democrat with a strong southern presence and at the same time trying to create Forza Nord by trying to steal votes from League. If these surveys were confirmed they would mark the failure of the company.”
Could the percentages of the survey on the European vote, transposed on a regional level, further accentuate the result of your party and the same distance with Forza Italia?
“Our goal is to be decisive also in the next regional administration. Last time we made Alberto Cirio win with our votes, this time knowing that we would not reach forty percent like five years ago, our objective, I repeat, is to be a decisive force for the majority. From this perspective, the survey data would undoubtedly be positive. A fact from the polls that can be explained by the fact that we are working hard, we have already started with an electoral campaign in which we try to valorise our men in the area, our candidates and the work they have done”.
Let’s go back to the League line. If the survey recognizes the identity issues, starting from autonomy, one can think that Salvini has also understood how it is increasingly necessary, indeed indispensable, to look to the North and do so by offering voters what has in part been denied on the altar of nationalism and the run-up to Meloni? Not to mention the nods to the European ultra-right.
“He will evaluate this after the polls are closed. I was the promoter of the conference on autonomy, held in recent days in Turin: I think it was a much appreciated event and also at a national level it had a notable impact also because there was the expectation of hearing the League talk about these issues . I think Salvini was also happy and appreciated it. We have given the same acceleration on autonomy. There is an agreement with Giorgia Meloni and Tajani. AND It’s clear that Salvini has moved in this direction, I believe he did it because he understands that it is important.”
Are you afraid of friendly fire from Forza Italia, given the not so veiled announcements of amendments aimed at moving the approval of the autonomy reform to after the vote?
“The agreement is that the text, which remained largely in the Senate, will be approved in the House as it is, net of technical corrections. The agreement is that, if there were moves like the ones you mention, then an agreement of the majority would be violated. In that case, we too could have a lot to say about the premiership.”
Tags: Molinari League starts North Italy dont play games
