Should Draghi move to the Quirinale? Or does it have to stay at Palazzo Chigi? "The premier is so authoritative in Italy and abroad that he can hold either of the two positions". He says it loud and clear Teresa Bellanova, President of Italia Viva and former Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Sustainable Mobility, who, resigning last year from the Conte bis government, together with the other two Renzian representatives, Scalfarotto and Bonetti and causing their fall, opened the way to Palazzo Chigi for the former president of the ECB. And yet it is not a matter of esteem. The problem, according to Bellanova, is that the Quirinal package it cannot be separated from the one for Palazzo Chigi. That is – as she recounts in this interview with FIRSTonline – at the same time the political forces must both put forward a name that suits everyone for the Quirinale (“why not a woman? But really, not to stall for time or because one doesn't know which way to turn ”), and locate a scenario for the government which allows the National Recovery and Resilience Plan to be successfully implemented.
So, let's start from the heart of our conversation: if it were up to you to choose, would you prefer Draghi to Palazzo Chigi or the Quirinale?
“I have already chosen once. Draghi also arrived at Palazzo Chigi due to the decision I made, with my group, by resigning from the Conte government. Many are unaware that a minister, a minister in this case, cannot be resigned. That choice of ours determined what Conte wanted to avoid at all costs: his resignation and the fall of the government. I consider Mario Draghi a figure capable of expressing himself with the necessary authority and quality both in the role of Prime Minister, as has been the case for a year now, and in that of President of the Republic. However, we must not find an accommodation, which is not requested, among other things, for this or that prestigious person, we must identify the best solution both for the Presidency of the Republic and for guaranteeing quality and continuity to the Government's action. Knowing that this will be a very complicated year from the point of view of the actual management of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, many have so far focused on the quantity of resources, but now we need to move from the allocation of funds to the implementation of projects. And to do this we need to govern with a firm hand and with clear and sure ideas”.
Then describe the playing field for us before the kick-off: situation of the centre-right, the centre-left and the M5Stelle.
“What I see is a centre-right that appears united, but which has many distinctions internally. He continues to make Berlusconi believe that he supports him, but more and more they talk about subordinates. Everyone says they have other proposals to make and my experience tells me that when you get to the subordinate, the main one is no longer in the field. In short, there is a big difference between what one says and what one does. As for the centre-left: in the meantime, I wonder who the centre-left is. Letta put forward the hypothesis of a legislative pact and Renzi was the first to say ok, a wise proposal, let's talk. It does not seem to me that an equally clear answer has also come from others who refer to the centre-left. As for the M5S, here too we need to understand who we are talking about. A part is in transhumance to other shores, others seem to want to participate in the practice of the market that staged Berlusconi. Pd and Leu seem to have stopped, against all the evidence, at the photo of Narni. Speranza and Letta called the intercom at Conte's house the other day, a leader who is not there. He wasn't in Narni and he isn't now. The most that can produce this way of doing is a tweet. It doesn't seem to me that he is up to what he serves the country. At this moment it would also be useful for the centre-left, especially for the Democratic Party, to put an end to behaviors tending to exclude and begin to engage in politics. It's never the time, but especially in this phase, to let grudges prevail. Now is the time to look to the good of the country, it is time to build unity and not to marginalize, in order to consume a personal revenge, those who are capable of exercising leadership and twice in the last 3 years have secured the country".
What idea do you have of Berlusconi's self-candidacy: does it have a chance of succeeding? And if not, what was it useful for?
“Berlusconi doesn't have numbers, and this is a fact. Nor can you build the highest office in the state by collecting votes in Parliament. This behavior was ignoble when Conte practiced it to prevent his government from falling, it is just as bad now. I think it would be a duty for Berlusconi to take note of this fact. It must be recognized that this move has led him to rediscover centrality within the political game and that in doing so he has reconfirmed himself as the true leader of the centre-right. If he withdrew his candidacy and put forward an alternative proposal, he would probably become the architect of a shared choice”.
Who is Renzi referring to when he claims that the centre-right could have candidates that the centre-left could also vote for: Amato? Frattini? mess?
“All these names are representative figures, but this is not missing. Among men and among women. Let's face it clearly, there are many mediocre men who perform important functions, it is not clear why when it comes to women they must be super capable. Just ask for maximum perfection from women. Since there are suitable for the role in all fields, we are thinking of expanding the list also with their names".
Do you have a woman's name?
“I could advance the name of more than one female figure, but I don't. Not because I lack clarity, but because I know what it means, I've been there myself. Naming women is equivalent to putting them in a meat grinder and the next day it's not politics that hasn't been able to build that solution, but it's the person who has been indicated who hasn't made it. Since no one has put forward female candidates, if the policy proves to be adequate for the times, at that point it is possible to identify names of authoritative women capable of obtaining transversal consensus".
Renzi openly rejected Berlusconi's candidacy for the Quirinale and appreciated a legislative pact until 2023. What should this legislative pact contain and what should the government be like in the event that Draghi ascends to the Quirinal? Salvini would like him to be more political and for party leaders to participate personally. What does he think about it?
“I think that what the country needs, I repeat, is a shared choice that must hold together the solution for the Quirinale and that for the government. In this country we spend more time campaigning, even when it's not election time, than governing, exactly the opposite of what the Constitution and common sense tell us. We have to stop it. As for the pact, it should meanwhile secure the management of the Pnrr. Because, let us all remember, the huge amount of money that will arrive largely means debts to be repaid. It's true, Draghi's authority has allowed us to be protected from criticism, spreads, etc. But the debt will have to be paid and to do so without facing social carnage there is a need for authoritative people, who want to take care of the country and of the processes, who sign an agreement that also involves rigorous behavior. Furthermore, we must continue to govern the health emergency and on this I believe that the chapter on the Mes loan should be reopened. At the moment we are managing Covid, the emergency, but there is not only Covid, there are many people who have seen their ability to access the health system reduced in these two years. Starting with prevention, but not only, many issues have been put into the background. In short, both growth and the crisis must be governed, which must not be ignored and which is also a consequence of the health emergency. And there is a need to respond to poverty which has grown considerably, also as a result of Covid. If someone thinks that the answer to poverty has been given with basic income, they need to go for a tour among the most disadvantaged groups of our country. You ask me if in the event Draghi goes up to Colle, the next government should be more markedly political. I'll answer you like this: the government is always political. The current one is the result of a courageous political act that saw me, as I said, also a protagonist. Should leaders come in? It is not the only solution, but neither do I believe that the proposal is unworkable. Indeed, it is possible that such a pact could avoid the spectacle of decisions which, taken unanimously in the council of ministers, are immediately questioned in the press by the same people who approved them”.
One of the points that should substantiate the legislature pact is a new electoral law: do you believe that the conditions for a proportional law can mature as many political sectors are asking for?
“The times are there if there is the political will. Meanwhile, it should be noted that in this Parliament, as well as in the country, talking about bipolarity is really a stretch. Will we get to the proportional law? I do not know. For the good of our democracy, I hope that this issue of electoral laws will not be tackled on the basis of the conveniences of individual parties, but by looking at the need to have a complete representation of the entire electorate. We have fewer and fewer people going to vote, we must take responsibility for this and build the conditions so that in this country men and women, and also the new generations, feel more attracted to participate, are convinced that their vote is important". .
