The Meloni-Schlein duel will not take place in Bruno Vespa’s television lounge, scheduled for May 23rd. Rai announced this in a note, stating that «only four of the eight lists represented in Parliament they accepted Rai’s invitation to a two-way discussion between leaders on the basis of representative strengthto”. For this reason, in the absence of the majority required by the Communications Regulatory Authority (Agcom), «Rai believes it cannot plan any discussion in the terms previously proposed».
The note reveals that there was a fourth party, in addition to FdI, Pd and Lega, available for a two-way discussion: this is Matteo Renzi’s Italia Viva which until yesterday seemed to be wavering. But the four leaders do not constitute the majority requested yesterday by Agcom. Yesterday the Authority established that, to authorize the Meloni-Schlein duel, the majority of parties in Parliament with representatives in Europe had to adhere to the same formula: in short, five out of eight.
By not complying with this rule, Vespa could have tried to comply with the otherthe one that required the large majority of the 16 lists present in the European competition (which, however, have yet to receive the stamp). The idea was to sound out Michele Santoro (Peace, land and dignity), Cateno De Luca (Freedom) and Stefano Bandecchi (Popular Alternative). But even then there would have been seven formations available. In the end, Rai decided to give up, probably also to avoid further controversies, in addition to those already underway.
At this point We’ll see if Vespa will try other formulas, like that of the American-style confrontation, with all the parties, requested by many leaders, but disliked by Meloni and Schlein. The same problem also concerns Enrico Mentana who proposed a comparison over two evenings, next June 5th and 6th.
