The battle in Forza Italia, collection of signatures against Cattaneo for a new parent company – Corriere.it

On one thing everyone agrees. With Berlusconi increasingly distant from the politics of day by day, and with the approach of what seems to be the “last round” to find an accommodation also in view of the next legislature, Forza Italia has become a powder keg. A sort of underground river in flood in which relationships are broken, new ones are created, alliances are signed and shattered, big names fall, excluded come back into vogue, and – in the end – everyone thinks for themselves.

The result is not so much an oscillating political line: beyond the often disorganized statements of the Knight and his convictions on the war in Ukraine where “it is certainly not all Putin’s fault”, there are no serious problems in the parliamentary groups in working in harmony with the majority. Or at least they are currently under wraps. But the war for who will have to be in pole position to manage the legacy of the FI leader sooner or later is fierce.

So here is that after weeks of drafts, it is Dagospy, site well informed on the poisons of the Palace, to “officialize” that the disputes can no longer be settled. Berlusconi’s companion, Marta Fascina, after years of association with the powerful Licia Ronzulli, at the urging of Marina Berlusconi who seems to have taken over the reins of the party in the name of the family, also giving space to the mediating work in the coalition of Gianni Letta (it is he who is managing the delicate game of appointments), has already made it clear that many things will change. And that the most governmental wing of the party will regain strength, that of Antonio Tajani, head of the blue delegation in the Council of Ministers and very close to Prime Minister Meloni, who is too important for the Mediaset empire to collide for mere reasons of “personal visibility », as Fascina herself wrote in a note a few days ago.

So the earthquake seems to be one step away: the two group leaders of the Senate and the Chamber, Ronzulli herself and Alessandro Cattaneo, could be ad horas one defenestrated by the right-hand man of the Foreign Minister in Montecitorio Paolo Barelli (or by Deborah Bergamini, who also enjoys the general trust in Arcore), the other by one of Fascina’s favourites, Adriano Paroli, now deputy group leader.

A real turnaround: they assure from FI that there are even 31 the deputies out of 44 to have signed a document against Cattaneo, guilty – according to the stories – of keeping too close an eye on the honorable people by having them photographed or in any case checking if they maintain too close relations with the area of ​​Tajani’s loyalists. It is more difficult to understand Ronzulli’s position. Everyone confirms that in fact the relationship with those who command Arcore today is minimal, but the one with Berlusconi – they say – is historic and resists. How to set it aside permanently? Cattaneo falls from the clouds: «I don’t know anything, I wouldn’t understand why. There is nothing on the political line that has not been decided with Berlusconi. And in every vote we never lost a single vote. What would be the problem?”

Moreover, it is not even easy to arrive at a vote of no confidence. The procedures are complicated. But we know that in Forza Italia when the order arrives from Arcore, we adapt. And the signatures have been in the hands of the former prime minister since last night. But why so much tension? Beyond the difficult personal relationships between women, which are not new in Berlusconi’s complicated universe, they say that the reasons for strong agitation would be the formation of the councils of Lazio and Lombardy – whoever places his own, gets a sort of life insurance also in view of upcoming future electoral appointments – and the latest parliamentary appointments, such as the chairs of the bicameral commissions, three of which belong to FI. “Either you collect something now – they say in the party – or you risk that next time the party is no longer there…”.

To understand now how the individual steps will take place. There is no doubt that the public statement of Marta Fascina – who is very rare to expose herself – on the need to have cohesive groups and no more dissenting voices in freedom has marked a before and an after in recent days. And therefore it seems that the alignment of Ronzulli herself with very pro-Melonian positions in the last few hours is not enough to rebalance the shift of powers in progress.

One hypothesis is that “paying” is only Cattaneo, but everything is now in Berlusconi’s hands. Who, they swear, is not particularly passionate about the subject (except for some appointments in the investees he cares about, such as that of Scaroni) and leaves much to do to the new powerful duo of the party, his daughter Marina who represents the family and Fascina herself who in any case, he stands by him and adapts, in which he blindly trusts. We will soon see how the last war of the many over twenty years that have marked the life of FI will end. Because until the last moment, anything can still happen.