And now what happens? Government crisis, dissolution of the Chambers, early elections? And how will the markets react? At what point will the spread arrive? Will the President of the Republic, Enrico Letta and the democratic political forces be able to find a sort of line of defense to safeguard the institutions and the stability of a country subjected to the strongest and most irresponsible attack in the history of the Republic? These are dramatic questions to which there are currently no certain answers, but which, however, will have to be found and given very quickly. And the seat can only be that of Parliament.
First the facts. Yesterday afternoon Silvio Berlusconi from Arcore where he was meeting with some of his lawyers, Daniela Santanchè, Denis Verdini and some other of his most zealous and intransigent supporters, gave the order: the ministers of the Pdl must resign, no more broad agreements , enough with the Letta government and come what may. In short: let Samson die with all the Philistines (which in this case would be the Italians). The fault, of course, lies with Letta and the Democratic Party who did not want to intervene to block the VAT increase at the last meeting of the Council of Ministers, first deeming it necessary to verify in Parliament whether after the menacing announcement-threat of mass resignations of all the parliamentarians of the PDL it was still possible that the majority (?) would continue. Of course, the VAT increase has very little impact on the real reasons for the ministers' order to resign. Berlusconi wants to blow everything up because in a few days the Board for the elections of the Senate, applying a definitive sentence of the Cassation and the Severino law, will declare his forfeiture from the Senate. He won't even show up at that appointment because, as he explained in a defensive brief in which he asks for the revocation and replacement of all the parliamentarians not of his party or of the League because they would have already made their judgment publicly known.
Prime Minister Enrico Letta's reply was immediate and harsh, according to whom Berlusconi, in order to try to justify that "crazy and irresponsible gesture, aimed exclusively at covering up his personal affairs, tries to overthrow the omelette using the VAT alibi". In any case, the Prime Minister at this point is asking for a clarification before the country and will appear in Parliament between tomorrow and the day after tomorrow to hold Berlusconi and his cronies up to their responsibilities. Of course today Letta will go to Napolitano who already yesterday in Naples had made known all his concern for the looming political crisis, reiterating once again all his opposition to the early dissolution of the Legislature and early elections with the current electoral law.
Meanwhile, it should be noted that Berlusconi's invitation to the ministers' resignations was officially accepted by the secretary and head of delegation to the Alfano government, who guaranteed the absolute obedience of the ministers to that invitation. But, for example, Minister Quagliariello has made it known that he will make his decisions known today. And, while in solidarity with the leader, Fabrizio Cicchitto explained in no uncertain terms that decisions of that kind should have been discussed in the PDL's presidency office and in parliamentary groups. In short, Berlusconi's move as the first political result has caused distinctions and divisions in the centre-right.
There is no doubt that Berlusconi's political objective at this point is to go in a very short time to the early vote with the Porcellum, counting on the fact that Grillo and of course the zealous Lega are also in favor of this solution. Which, however, is by no means obvious. The President of the Republic has made it clear for some time how he thinks about it and has reiterated it as well in these hours. And then there is another reason that we could call consecutio temporum constitutional: in early December the Consulta will pronounce itself on the Porcellum, and everything suggests that it will declare it unconstitutional. With the political and institutional consequences that are there for all to see. This is why the dissolution of the Chambers and the consequent elections are still anything but certain. And Berlusconi's move (at this point the most hawkish of hawks) to bring down the temple might not even go well. Much will depend on what happens within the PDL and the Grillino movement. Because in Parliament it could also be verified that not all the centre-right and 5-star movement MPs are ready to put the Republic and its institutions in crisis on the basis of a combined Berlusconi-Grillo arrangement.
