«There are no grounds for Delmastro’s resignation. Now let everyone tone down, including the Brothers of Italy»- Corriere.it

Dear director,
for several days I am accusedby members of the opposition and the media, of reticence in relation to the heated debate on Alfredo Cospito held in the Chamber, which involved the Honorable Member among others Donzelli and the Undersecretary Delmaster.

I was asked about the matter yesterday, when during a press conference with the Chancellor Scholz in Berlin, and in front of the international media, Italian journalists questioned me about this, evidently less interested in the negotiation I was conducting in Italy’s interests in view of the forthcoming extraordinary European Council.

I made a commitment to answer and I do nowsignaling that the reason I haven’t intervened so far is that I have tried not to feed a controversy that I consider, for everyone, counterproductive.

I’ll explain why. Upstream: definitely the tones have risen too muchAnd I invite everyone, starting with the exponents of the Brothers of Italy, to bring them back to the level of a frank but respectful confrontation.

However, I don’t think there are in any way the conditions for resignation that someone requested. Furthermore, the information contained in the documentation which is the subject of the dispute, which the Ministry of Justice has clarified is not classified, has even been anticipated by some media.

There are in this fuss, in my opinion, clearly instrumental aspects.

I find it strange that we are scandalized because Parliament has discussed documents not covered by secrecy, while for years private conversations – these so not to be disclosed – often become public domain.

I find singular the indignation of the Pd for a certainly excessive accusation, when however the left in the past has leveled against me, leader of the opposition, the accusations of “being the moral instigator of deaths at sea” or of leading a “subversive party”, to name a few. Without forgetting when institutional exponents shouted to the applause that we should have “spit blood”.

I find it paradoxical that the parties of the left cannot be held accountable for their choices, when the origin of the controversies of these days lies objectively the visit to Cospito of a qualified representative of the Democratic Party, at a time when the prisoner was intensifying communication efforts with the outside world, as emerges from the notes of the judicial authority which ruled on the case, made known by the media. And what strikes me, even more than that visit, is that after having taken note – from what the press reports on the matter – of the relationship between Alfredo Cospito and the mafia bosses in harsh prison regimes, and knowing full well how much it is better for the mafia to put under discussion the 41bis, authoritative exponents of the Democratic Party have continued to ask for the revocation of the institute for Cospitopretending not to understand the implications that such a choice would have had above all in terms of the fight against organized crime.

Having said that, I believe that the point is another. While the majority and the opposition are fighting over the case around us the climate is dangerously and rapidly warming up. And it spares no one, as demonstrated by the posters that appeared yesterday at the La Sapienza University of Rome, which they define «murders» the President of the Republic and the members of various governmentswithout distinction of political color.

While there is still speculation that this issue could be used to attack the government or the opposition, yesterday it was necessary to assign the escort to the Hon. Donzelli and Undersecretaries Delmastro and Ostellari, and threats to Italian institutions appear everywhere, here at home and abroad.

It’s clear that we are not faced with one of the many controversies that agitate the political worldbut to one a decidedly disturbing situation which is likely to have serious consequences. To a scenario that requires prudence and caution but which must see the State united, in all its articulations and components, in defense of legality.

It is an appeal that I address to everyone, politicians, journalists, commentators. Because we don’t have to look back tomorrow and discover that, not understanding the seriousness of what was happening, we ended up all being responsible for an escalation that can take us anywhere.