“Promise daily management, then choose a theme to carry forward for 35 days. And remember, half the people decide whether and who to vote the day before the election. Therefore, choose the theme that is close to the hearts of the people of Cremona and beat on that. Talk to everyone, even the many foreigners who have integrated into Cremona: the problem is not colour, but being respectable people. Do a thorough job”.
These are the “voting instructions” Of Matteo Salvini, Minister of Infrastructure and Mobility, to the mayoral candidate Alessandro Portesaniwho humbly took advantage of the minister’s presence in Cremona to publicly ask him for advice on the electoral campaign.
And this was the final moment of Salvini’s visit to Cremona, today from 7pm to almost 9pm. The stage was divided into two moments. The first, at the Maffei Room of the Chamber of Commerce, for the presentation of the minister’s book, “Against the wind – The Italy that doesn’t give up” (Piemme editions), the second in front of the headquarters of Portesani’s electoral committee.
Two very different moments but equally participated: the first above all by citizens, militants and administrators of the League, the second by party sympathizers and exponents of the local centre-right.
A real crowd, the stage in front of the electoral committee, which saw Salvini literally surrounded by the many present. “I invite you to say – said the minister after Portesani’s introduction – that there is finally the possibility of change. You can do it and I think I’ll come here in the run-off, I’m not saying in the first round because winning in the run-off is nicer”.
And after Gasparri, who spoke in the city on Saturday, Salvini also pronounces the term taboo (ballot), a sign that at all levels we are realizing that the battle, for the centre-right, is less obvious than what was thought even just a couple of years ago. months ago.
In the Maffei room the minister, who arrived half an hour late, instead presented his volume, taking the opportunity to touch on many highly topical issues in the presence of the militants, including MEP Silvia Sardone.
“It took me over a year to write the book – the minister began ironically –. My namesake Renzi writes one a year, I don’t know how he does it… The book was born between one trip and another, on weekends, in my free time. Why did I do it? To give credit to the militants and administrators of the League”.
It’s not an operation.”nostalgia”, Salvini was keen to underline, “it is the story of my growth and that of the party with Bossi and Maroni. The story of many beautiful moments, of many victories, but also of defeats, of difficult moments.”
The volume obviously also includes the years of Covid and the government with Draghi: “The interests of the party told us that it was better to stay out and others did so (Brothers of Italy; ed.) but we decided to roll up our sleeves and get busy. It was an experience that cost us many votes.”
In recent weeks, he added, “many people told me that they didn’t vote for me two years ago but that now that we’re talking about Europe, the League is the party with the clearest ideas.”
Hence the passage on the next European elections: “In Europe we will never go to govern with socialists and communists. And if there are those who say more Europe, I say less Europe, because Europe is the one that tells us to close the farms, to eat synthetic meat, cricket flour. I want a Europe that deals with few things but does it well. A Europe that defends its borders from landings”.
Close by, the passage on international conflicts, a theme that Salvini also reiterated before Portesani’s electoral committee and which, evidently, he cares about a lot. “Macron is dangerous for himself and his people, he claims that he does not rule out sending his soldiers to war. I will never send the son of an Italian to fight in Ukraine. Saying more Europe, in this sense, is like saying to a drug addict, come, I’ll take you to a drug dealer and we’ll buy good stuff.”
The only way to end the war, he added, “is that Trump wins the American elections and I hope so, because decisions are made more in Washington than in Paris”. “Beyond this – he said again – I am in favor of Europe implementing good practices like Erasmus, certainly not directives like the one on packaging”.
And if the minister said he was in favor of a “common policy“, he clarified that “I don’t expect a common army, because then who’s in charge? Weapons and missiles are not my idea of Europe.”
A passage on the controversial figure of Vannacci is inevitable. “Two years ago – Salvini recalled – I didn’t even know who he was. Everyone described him as a monster, so I tried to figure out who he was. Now the left is nominating a girl in prison in Hungary, if this is legitimate I think a general like Vannacci could be more entitled to represent me and Europe. Then the voters will decide”.
Applause, moment of signing copies of the book, then the move towards Portesani’s electoral committee, where Salvini ended his visit to the city. No protests to report and the center-right brings home another big name while the center-left continues its restful sleep, waiting for someone to explain to the Democratic Party that there will be a vote in a month.
Photoshoot by Gianpaolo Guarneri (FotoStudio B12)
