Appointments, so Prime Minister Meloni tripped. The different balances between the allies – Corriere.it

In two hours of heated discussion on the appointments, Giorgia Meloni had time to get nervous and let it pass. And for two hours the ministers waited in the Council hall, aware that something was going wrong. Until, to break that embarrassed silence, Raffaele Fitto turned to his colleagues: «Shall we have a seance?». It would have been useful to invoke the spirits of previous toilets and have their stories told. Everyone had gone through the same situation when it came to tackling the knot of nominations. But no one had ever had the executive summoned without those knots having been untied prematurely.

So the day before yesterday the premier was angry, because the misstep is the result of a power game within the center-right which ruins his image and that presidential approach to be affirmed with institutional reforms. It’s true, at Palazzo Chigi the top management of INPS and Inail proceeded with the commissioning and the procedure for the renewal of Rai was unblocked. But the tug of war on the future commander of the Finance Guard It is on Chief of Police he cast a shadow on the management of government dossiers and offered a cross-section of relations within the executive.

A grand commis, observing what happened, sympathized with Meloni: «They made her finish the Council of Ministers in the city council». The reference is precisely linked to the hand of risk involving ministers, allies and even party comrades: an operation conducted along the lines of procedures. Because it is unthinkable that only at the last moment did the government realize the “lack of urgency” for the replacement of Joseph Zafarana at the top of the Fiamme Gialle: in fact, the general – indicated to the presidency of ENI – will have to wait for the assembly of the energy giant, scheduled for 10 May, to assume the new role. But it is clear that the discussion on the timing hides disagreements on the name of the replacement, among which there is Andrew DeGennarosupported by the undersecretary to the presidency Alfredo Mantovano in agreement with Meloni.

Thus began the derby in Fratelli d’Italia, with Guido Crosetto who claimed his prerogatives: «By law – contested the defense attorney – I have the concert on the appointment. Since there is no urgency, let’s save form and substance and let me do what I have to do». “It will mean that Giorgia will nominate De Gennaro after 10 May”, whispers another FdI minister: “Of course, they could have saved her a bad impression”. They say that in the Council the prime minister is no longer able to hide her state of mind due to the protagonism of some members of the executive, including some loyalists. Even the initial afflatus with Giancarlo Giorgetti it seems to have faded. The day before yesterday the head of the Economy let Crosetto put a wedge on the Guardia di Finanza, “tell me if I have to sign and let’s go on”. But the real moment of friction with Meloni was recorded during the Council meeting on May 1st, when – surprisingly – Giorgetti explained to the premier that it was necessary to reduce the cut in the tax wedge just announced to the unions by one point: «I’m sorry but I can’t ‘is sufficient coverage’. And she, who didn’t want to lose face, cast a fiery look at Fitto. In Christian Democrat tones, the FdI minister explained to his colleague where to recover the necessary funds, before chasing him around the hall and reassuring him.

They say that Giorgetti is experiencing one of his Hamlet moments: «I’m here but I would like to be far from here». It is not clear whether it depends on the pressure of the structures of the economy or on the daily pincers to which he is subjected by Meloni and Matteo Salvini. The fact is that the merry-go-round of nominations reveals the state of health of a coalition and a government. And it always reserves twists. For example, the axis between the secretary of the League and Gianni Letta: until recently were like the devil and holy water, now after signing the advent of Paul Scaroni at Enel they move in agreement for the new police chief. Actually, the Minister of the Interior Matteo Piantedosi he would have liked to keep Lamberto Giannini at the Viminale for another year before suggesting him for a job in the services.

But the carousel turns. And she will whirl around with the assignments in Rai, where Meloni is torn between the desire to place “another blow at Cingolani” and the need to satisfy the requests of those who have been by her side for years. In one case as in the other, you first had to pass the rule «save Fuortes» who wanted the seat of the San Carlo in Naples to leave Viale Mazzini. A very theatrical exit. Even too much.

The Political Diary newsletter

If you want to stay updated on political news, subscribe to the newsletter “Political Diary”. It is dedicated to Corriere della Sera subscribers and arrives twice a week at 6pm. Just click here.