Not just Angela Merkel. While the German chancellor wanders around Rome defending herself from the pressure of Monti, Hollande and Rajoy, the story of another lady is also taking center stage in the capital. She is much more local, a little less on the crest of the wave, but still able to get people talking about her. She is Assunta Almirante. The widow of the MSI leader has unleashed an uproar in Roman politics with an at least unusual sentence. Invited to Palazzo Valentini (headquarters of the Province of Rome) for a charity event in favor of the earthquake victims of Emilia, Donna Assunta allowed herself to make a passionate declaration: "I am here as a sign of friendship towards Zingaretti - she said -, who I respect you very much". Open up heaven.
The embarrassment of the President of the Province, an iron democrat, was obvious. And on this front, no statement. But Mrs. Almirante's love for what will in all likelihood be the next centre-left candidate for the Capitol is primarily interesting on the flip side. First of all, it is a crack that signals the split in the Roman PDL, a sinister background to the crumbling of the national party. It is a prelude to abandonment, an indication of the disappointment that is alienating part of the right-wing electorate from the current mayor (former MSI) Gianni Alemanno.
The suspicion is that what happened to Francesco Rutelli during the last municipal electoral campaign is happening to the former Minister of Agriculture. At the time, the left-wing candidate was abandoned in the middle of the street by a large part of his electorate, who chose not to vote or even supported the enemy. Unforeseen and unpredictable phenomenon that opened the doors of the Capitoline Hill to Alemanno.
Of course, between Donna Assunta and the mayor there are also far more personal reasons for friction. The shipwreck of their relationship can be traced back to two promises violated by Alemanno: the road never named after the memory of the lady's late husband, Giorgio, and the failure to appoint her daughter, Giulia, to the troubled Roman council.
“I respect Zingaretti very much – Donna Assunta then specified -, but I don't change flags”. As for the mayor, however, a little thought...
