Calenda: "If Draghi goes to Colle, who governs?"

«The first thing to say about this confused race between the parties for the conquest of the role of kingmaker in the race for the Quirinale it is that the sequence is being mistaken: first it would be necessary to think about which government to form in order to conclude the legislature and then decide on the future president of the Republic».

Carlo Calenda, leader of Action, has just celebrated the congress of his political formation and can boast 30 members, a thousand local administrators, 23 mayors and a capillary structure that covers vast areas of the country. In addition, a federative pact has just been signed with +Europe, in order to form the first nucleus of a liberal and progressive formation such as has never been seen in Italy, and which can win over a large portion of the electorate, tired of the inconclusive populism that unfortunately crosses almost all parties of the right and left.

The drama implemented by the parties for the designation of Mattarella's successor worries him a lot.

«It seems to me that the parties are grossly underestimating the internal and international risks that the country will have to face during this year. Most politicians think that 2022 will be a quiet year, and that with the money that will arrive from Europe, any eventuality can be faced. In short, it is convenient for everyone to exchange last year's strong economic rebound for a lasting recovery. But is not so. From the outside, great geopolitical risks loom due primarily to Russia's aggressiveness towards Ukraine. If an armed conflict were to break out, what would be the consequences for the price of gas? But even from the internal side the prospects are not simple. To get the money from the Pnrr we will have to make various reforms in the coming months and above all start the works and then spend the money that has been made available. But this is what we have never been able to do so far ».

So a strong government would be needed, capable of imposing controversial political choices and managing bureaucracy to speed up the implementation of the many projects that make up the Pnrr.

«This is why I say that an agreement must be reached to govern the next fifteen months until the natural expiry of the legislature in 2023. We know that Draghi would prefer to move to the Quirinale (he made it clear without ambiguity). So the problem is to understand how to replace him and with what political structure it would be necessary to face a year which, I repeat, will not be easy at all. But the parties are silent on all substantive issues. We have proposed, together with +Europe, a table of party secretaries precisely to discuss not only the structure of the government no longer chaired by Mario Draghi, but also the lines of the programme, the commitments for reforms, the methods of managing European and Italian resources. But for now the parties, including those calling for a legislative pact, do not seem willing to really talk about it".

Who could be Draghi's successor at Palazzo Chigi?

“I don't want to make any designations. I got to appreciate Cartabia not only in the current ministry. I think he is a capable and determined person, able to manage the parties in a complex year and with the elections at hand. Of course, this is not the time to set up an electoral government, a prisoner of the distributive logic of the parties".

This whole story, from the Draghi government to the election of the Head of State, is highlighting the dramatic shortcomings of the parties, which have no ideas, and even if they had them, they would lack the necessary courage to state and implement them. Once again we risk losing the opportunity of European funds. Italy runs the risk of being crushed by the incapacity of the political forces to equip itself with forward-looking projects and to have the patience to manage them.

«I have often said that the number one problem of our country is the inability to spend the available resources well; or, when reforms are made (the last worthy of the name are those made by the Renzi government), to implement their management, see how they work, perhaps make small changes. We cannot announce great reforms every time, get them passed through Parliament with great difficulty, and then abandon them without taking care of their execution".

Therefore, a reorganization of the political system is needed. Instead, it seems to understand that the election of the new head of state will not initiate a new phase in Italian politics.

«The situation is delicate, but we must not be pessimistic. However, Draghi is a resource that we will have to make the best use of in the interest of the whole country. Then it is necessary to acknowledge that bipolarity has degenerated and has failed in the goal of governance. We need to return to a proportional electoral system, so as to favor the formation of parliamentary coalitions of reasonable forces, cutting the extremists who instead dominate our sick bipolarity today. We must have faith in democracy and focus on the mobilization of public opinion, which seems to have appreciated the concreteness and absence of rhetoric of the Draghi government".