«The changes in Forza Italia? I decide, and the line remains the same. Immobilism hurts»- Corriere.it

A party that is renewing itself, with the government wing getting stronger, new group leader in the Chamber, appointment of new coordinators and change of guard in Lombardy, with Alessandro Sorte replacing Licia Ronzulli who is reconfirmed in her role as group leader of the Azzurri senators . In short, a revolution. Which Silvio Berlusconi himself claims belongs to him and only to him. And he explains as follows: «In politics, stagnation hurts, which is why Forza Italia has always and continuously renewed itself in its now thirty-year history. After all, we have not scrapped anyone, we have made the structure more efficient, replacing some coordinators who for various reasons, having assumed other positions or not having been re-elected, were no longer in a position to carry out their task with the commitment they had before».

But it’s the first time that a group leader has been replaced after only 5 months: is there a change of political line, a management that didn’t leave you satisfied or something else?

«None of this: the political line of Forza Italia is the one indicated by me. Any positions taken by individuals, with different accents as is natural in a large liberal party, only represent individual opinions and sensitivities. The vast majority, I would even say the entirety of Forza Italia’s adherents, militants, elected officials, ask me every day to continue to exercise leadership and to be the guarantor of a political line which for thirty years has been that of working for the centre-right unit. The transfer of Alessandro Cattaneo is not a punishment, it is a rationalization, useful for strengthening national coordination, while we wanted to recover the experience and wisdom of Paolo Barelli in the role of group leader».

Journalistic reconstructions attribute the changes at the top to the desire to hold a more faithful and less controversial political line than Prime Minister Meloni, and that this line was suggested by her family, primarily by Marina and Marta Fascina. Is that so?
«I have to make a premise. With my wife Marta and my daughter Marina there is a relationship made of love, esteem and total trust: therefore, as is natural, we often talk about politics and their advice is invaluable. But Forza Italia’s political line and operational choices are – I repeat – exclusively my responsibility. As for the relationship with President Meloni, it is based on the utmost loyalty, personal esteem, sincere friendship, in the belief that he is doing well and that Forza Italia must make a constructive contribution to the success of the government action. We do it as liberals, as Catholics, as guarantors, as pro-Europeans, as Atlanticists. We are an essential component of the majority and Giorgia’s success will be the success of all of us».

What else will change in FI? Will Tajani remain vice president and coordinator?
“No doubt. His operational capacity, his international authority, his coherence and his balance make him an essential point of reference, in his government roles such as in Forza Italia. And what’s more, after thirty years of working together, we really love each other very much».

Meanwhile, crucial issues such as Ukraine, the Pnrr, immigration continue to dominate the political scene. On the war, does his line coincide with that of Meloni or do you think the time has come to force to open a dialogue that leads to a ceasefire?
«I have always said, and I repeat it once again, that our line does not differ in any way from that of the Italian government, of Europe, of the Atlantic Alliance, of the United States. We proved it once again with last week’s vote in Parliament. Of course, this does not prevent me from hoping from the bottom of my heart that this tragic war will end as soon as possible and that we will return to the reasonableness of diplomacy. But until this happens, our position can only be with the West to which we belong”.

Immigration chapter: could the Cutro case have been handled better? And what to do now?
«It is a truly tragic story, but I don’t feel like attributing responsibility to anyone: in such a dramatic situation, it was objectively very difficult to intervene. Rescuing a boat in a stormy sea is a very different thing from a living room discussion about what could have been done. Having said that, I add that we must do everything possible to ensure that similar tragedies never happen again: those at sea must always be rescued, with all possible means, but at the same time we must create the conditions to reduce or eliminate departures, as he did my government in 2010, when only 4,400 migrants landed in Italy in one year. To do this, the stabilization of the countries on the southern shores of the Mediterranean is essential, from Libya to Tunisia, which are going through a very difficult moment and which urgently need to be helped before the situation implodes. But all this cannot be the task of Italy alone or of the countries bordering the Mediterranean: the whole of Europe must take charge of its southern border and an African policy capable of balancing the growing Chinese influence on the continent”.

On the Pnrr, Italy appears a little late, while Europe insists that the Mes be approved and the bank case explodes. He is concerned?
«I’m worried, not about our country’s delays, which are recoverable, but about the banking crises. I am convinced that Italian banks are solid, but what is happening in other countries can trigger a very dangerous panic effect. After all, the economies of the West are so profoundly interdependent that what is happening in Silicon Valley, in Zurich or perhaps tomorrow in Frankfurt – given the worrying news on the Deutsche Bank – still affects us directly. It is necessary to do everything necessary also at an international level to reassure and protect savers and to prevent the contagion from spreading”.

Civil rights: will you leave freedom of conscience on the subject of Gpa or do you agree with the FdI text so that gestation for others becomes a universal crime?
«Forza Italia, precisely because of its liberal nature, has always guaranteed and will always guarantee freedom of conscience on ethically sensitive issues. This does not mean that our line is unclear. Surrogacy is an unacceptable practice wherever it is practiced. He humiliates the woman and takes the child away from the natural parent. This applies equally to anyone who resorts to this practice, homosexual or heterosexual couples. Of course I hope that this matter is free from any partisan exploitation. The issue of life is too important and I hope that politics will be able to deal with it by looking beyond any tactical convenience and any calculation of electoral profit”.