Salvini and the strategy to arrive early on Meloni (and make the decisions signed) – Corriere.it

If to protect health “prevention is better than cure”, also in politics, anticipating the times can be a way of gaining visibility forcing others (including allies) to come to your positions or, in any case, starting from those. Matteo Salvini initiated the experience of the new government majority by focusing on two cornerstones in his modus operandi: enhancing identity issues (chosen from those included in the common program of the center-right) and playing ahead.

Some examples to better understand the strategysuch as the income intervention of
citizenship. It is known that both the party of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the Lega have always been opposed to income integration. Hostile when not even in favor of a cancellation tout court. Here then is that Salvini exposes himself, via social media because that remains his main communication method, and announces that for him the citizenship income must be suspended for at least six months
(but only “for those who can work”) to obtain the billion euro needed to finance the 102 quota.

The exit takes the premier off guard (it had never been discussed in those

terms), which accuses him of some discomfort, but at the same time does not allow him to say, at least publicly, that the issue is off the agenda of the majority. For Salvini the result is twofold: he poses as the one that is harder than the citizenship income and in any case, whatever the final decision that will be adopted by the government, he will be able to boast of having first made a proposal.

The example is useful to understand that compared to the experience of the government Conte I the leader
della Lega intends to adopt a less disruptive, less spectacular, more subtle form of “war of position”, perhaps, but no less insidious for those who have the responsibility of leading the executive. Certainly, now as then, Salvini’s need is to earn the spotlight every day. Indeed, given the strong downsizing decreed by the polls, that need is even more urgent. This is why in a few days, even if in the circles of the new Minister of Infrastructure there is a tendency to say that it was an occasional event, all the cards of the pack dear to the League arrived on the table: the citizenship income, in fact, but also the pensions , the security decrees, the cash ceiling, the stop of masks in the hospital, fiscal peace, the hard line against landings and, yesterday’s news, against rave parties.

They all are themes that, at least as titles, are part of the program of the

center right. Salvini rides them in his own way, turning into an almost daily goad for Meloni. And with her protagonism at the same time steals the show from those who, in addition to the premier, have direct competence on the specific subject. The cash outings on the roof and the fiscal respite ended well. And also on the attitude towards Covid the Northern League influence made itself felt.

A certain irritation has filtered out of Palazzo Chigi in the past few hours. And maybe it’s not a
the case that the Prime Minister himself receives the commitment to accelerate on the issues most dear to the coalition that won at the polls. For this reason Salvinian circles tend to minimize, to deny that there are intentions to play at the distinction, that the minister basically wants to seek visibility against the government. To reassure everyone, here is the decision to promote a meeting with the governors of Calabria and Sicily, Roberto Occhiuto and Renato Schifani, to talk about the Strait of Messina. To remind everyone that he considers himself, first of all, “a man of doing”.