At this point the Bersanis, the Speranzas, the Cuperlos, the Gotors and all the dem left will have to come to terms with it. With the grillini there is nothing to do and there is no dialogue that holds: much less on the Italicum. Yesterday the 5 Star Movement definitively threw off the mask and gave a dry order to the Democratic Party: hands off the Italicum.
Whether it is more surreal or more farcical can be debated, but it is certainly amusing to witness yet another somersault by the grillini who, after having accused the new electoral law of every wickedness and of killing democracy, now have no intention of changing it. The reason is simple: in the event of a final ballot in the next political elections, the current electoral law would above all favor the 5 Star Movement, which, after its victory in the municipal elections of Rome and Turin, smells the scent of Palazzo Chigi. And therefore for Grillo and di Maio the Italicum is not touched, with all due respect to the beautiful souls of the Movement who, for reasons of principle or facade, still say they want to bury the Italicum.
THE BACKFRONT OF GRILLO AND THE LEFT PD
The no of the Five Stars to the revision of the Italicum freezes the hopes of the left of the Democratic Party. Bersani's proud claim came a few days ago, who, regardless of the ridicule, recalled having tried at the beginning of the legislature to open the doors of dialogue with the grillini. In everyone's eyes and memory there is still that pathetic and humiliating meeting in live streaming from Montecitorio between the top of the Democratic Party, then led by Pierluigi Bersani, and the parliamentary staff of the Movement which humiliated the largest party like never before of the centre-left.
Encouraged by the willingness of the Chamber to discuss a motion by the Italian Left on the constitutionality of the Italicum in September, the dem minority had also started yesterday to attack Matteo Renzi, demanding the reopening of the discussion of the electoral law, especially but not only on the controversial question of the majority premium to the coalition rather than to the party list as now foreseen by the Italicum, except to deny its support for the constitutional referendum.
But the grillina reverse makes it clear definitively what any unprepared political analyst should have understood a long time ago: if there is a revision of the Italicum and above all of the list prize, it will not be able to count on the support of the 5 Star Movement which, as the ineffable Di Maio says, he now believes that the country's priorities are quite different. On the other hand, the latest polls suggest that the grillini will overtake the Democratic Party in the political elections and it is obvious that the 5 Star Movement is now defending a law that was considered liberticidal until yesterday. What is less obvious is to think, as the grillini do, that you can throw the stone and withdraw your hand. Not all Italians are fools and the events of these days can perhaps open the eyes of the blind too: after all, from the vote of the Five Stars together with Farage's and Le Pen's far right in the European Parliament on Brexit, to the gaffes of the new Mayor of Rome Virginia Raggi who would like to include men from the former Alemanno bundle on her staff, to arrive at the twists and turns on the Italicum there is no shortage of material to reflect on.
Unfortunately for the left of the Democratic Party, yesterday shed light on another very important political novelty that is maturing within Forza Italia and to which the president of Mediaset, Fedele Confalonieri, a lifelong friend of Silvio Berlusconi and a leading exponent, gave a voice of the party's resurgent corporate and moderate wing. In an extensive interview with "La Stampa", Confalonieri launched three very clear political messages: 1) enough with the maximalist and pro-League tendencies a la Brunetta; 2) reopen the dialogue, albeit in the distinction of roles, with the Government and with Prime Minister Renzi on the reforms, also in view of the referendum; 3) maximum alert in the face of the "managerial and totalitarian proposals" of the Five Stars, especially on television.
CONFALONIERI INDICATES THE COURSE
With his usual realism, Confalonieri takes us back to the origins of the political adventure of Silvio Berlusconi, who had his true compass in the defense of Mediaset TV and the corporate interests of Fininvest with the inevitable refusal of a law on conflict of interest and above all of a truly liberal policy. In practice, Confalonieri reminds Berlusconi that Renzi may have all the flaws in the world but that, unlike the Five Stars, he has no intention of getting his hands on Mediaset TV and that weakening the Premier would be just another Forza Italia own goal . One thing is the free exit of the vote in the local administrations and another, completely different, is the vote in the referendum and in the political elections.
It is probable that, beyond the facade declarations, Matteo Renzi has not yet decided what to do on the Italicum, also in view of the pronouncement of the Constitutional Court and the referendum, i.e. whether to defend the new electoral law as it stands even cost of losing the elections or being available to correct some points, starting with the list vote.
However, as always, in politics only the numbers count: it is not enough to suggest changes to the Italicum but we need to find the majorities that support them. A very problematic if not impossible operation in a tripolar Parliament. The conjunction of the Grillini outcry and Confalonieri's messages clearly states that the alternative facing Italian politics today is very clear: either the Italicum won't change, because there are no parliamentary majorities necessary and because the Five Stars would get in the way, or the changes to the electoral law pass from a new agreement between Renzi and Forza Italia. With all due respect to the Brunettas on duty and above all to the minority of the Democratic Party.
