Call me Giorgia. Together with the decision to run in the European elections, Prime Minister Meloni asked voters to write her first name on her ballot. An idea that she had personally, the background story says, while she was writing the speech for the Pescara convention of Fratelli d’Italia. She seemed like a perfect choice for a campaign that she wants to transform into a referendum on her government. Since she is convinced (not wrongly) of winning it. And because in the meantime Elly Schlein had to think again about putting her name in the symbol of the Democratic Party. Also due to pressure from those in her Democratic Party, she has never won an election in her life. But jurists are convinced that the ploy explained yesterday by Minister Francesco Lollobrigida could have repercussions on the vote.
In the name of Giorgia
«The majority of citizens who address me continue to simply call me Giorgia, it is something that makes me proud, extremely important to me. I will always be a person to whom I address first name, without formalism and without distance, because this very difficult role will not change me, power will not restrain me and the palace will not isolate me”, she explained yesterday. Certainly launching the final battle in Giorgia’s name is the move needed to capitalize on the consensus that the prime minister has in the country. A bit like what happened to Matteo Salvini in the 2019 elections, when the Northern League’s boom was generated precisely by the protagonism of the leader of the League in the government with the 5 Star Movement. The Prime Minister’s brother-in-law and Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida explained that there is no risk of problems with the ballot being cancelled.
Simplify concepts
Because according to him, writing only the first name on the ballot paper is a «possibility in elections of all types to give the voter the choice whether to put the name in full or simplify it when it is clarified during the submission of candidacy how the name can be replaced . It happens in every election. It is a possibility that the law gives precisely to simplify the concept.” But also, and this is the obvious consequence, to affirm the “Giorgia” brand above everything and everyone. Above Salvini, who yesterday “preferred the long weekend” (not the one in Messina, but the holidays) upon arriving in Pescara, then connecting via videoconference while walking with his daughter to give the idea of having the centre-right politician’s favorite justification .
The Giorgia brand
But also above Antonio Tajani, who is instead a much more faithful ally for the prime minister, given that the two are in the habit of having lunch together every week. And he is running for the European elections on the strength of his popularity in the polls, second only to that of the prime minister, and his alliance with We Moderates. With the aim of exceeding 10%, which seems within reach given Maurizio Lupi’s votes. And with the dream of doubling them in the next policies, bringing them to 20%. But this would only be possible if Fi completely swallowed up the League. That is, the same goal as Meloni. And it is useless to say at this point and with the ball firmly in possession of Palazzo Chigi who is the favorite in the event of the collapse of the Northern League (and the consequent commissionership of Salvini by the Northern colonels).
The dangers of a ploy
But perhaps someone has underestimated the dangers of the “Giorgia Meloni known as Giorgia” ploy. It’s true, there is no rule that prohibits the possibility of being called by one’s first name on the ballot paper. But the constitutionalist Gaetano Azzariti explains today to Republic that there is something wrong: «And if there is another Giorgia (candidate with FdI, ed) what do they do, eliminate it? Do you ban all Giorgias within the party? This is already discrimination and an infringement of a fundamental right.” For Azzariti «we are faced with an evident forcing of the electoral law which speaks clearly, only the surname, first name and surname, if two surnames even just one of the two, and if there is confusion between homonyms here is the date of birth. By now the exponents of this government believe themselves legibus solutesas demonstrated by the canceled and repeated vote on autonomy.”
Giacinto Pannella known as Marco
The constitutionalist then gives the example of Pannella, whose real name was Giacinto. He ran as Giacinto Pannella, known as Marco, but here there was nothing to dispute since the second name “Marco” (due to an error in the registry office, he himself said) was not the same as the first. In this case, however, Meloni is already called Giorgia. “Through demagogy, the electoral law and the letter of the law itself are bent for a populist purpose,” he adds. The administrative lawyer Gian Luigi Pellegrino defines it as “a great trick”. But he also reiterates that “it cannot be done, because the nickname cannot be the same as the name”. According to Pellegrino “the electoral offices may not accept it because it is not a nickname”. But, he adds, “in this climate they are not likely to do so.”
«Electoral fraud»
The most explicit, however, is the constitutionalist from Perugia Mauro Volpi. «It is true that the law legitimizes the use of a pseudonym or a diminutive or at most just the name if the surname is complicated or difficult to write. But this is not the case with Giorgia Meloni. In essence there is voter fraud that comes from saying that she is “one of them”, which corresponds to a populist and plebiscitarian concept that aims to anticipate the effects of the premiership.” Even the professor emeritus of administrative law Franco Gaetano Scoca defines it as “a very questionable choice that could give rise to disputes”. Lastly, it should be remembered that Meloni’s candidacy, like that of Schlein and Tajani, remains superficial given that the prime minister will never occupy the seat in Brussels, which among other things cannot be combined. But no one seems to care about this.
