After the vote on Sunday and last Monday, the centre-right, and in particular the PDL, are not at the helm of any large Italian city. The centre-right itself, despite losing a substantial number of votes, had shown itself in the previous general elections at the end of February capable of preventing a clear victory for the centre-left, closing the way to the formation of a government for change, as was the case in Bersani's plans, and thus making recourse to the government of necessity or large companies more or less obligatory. Two very different results. Practically opposites. Which would require the PDL and other centre-right forces to carry out an in-depth political analysis, with outcomes that are anything but obvious.
For now, Berlusconi, grappling with the forthcoming procedural deadlines, has avoided any comment. After all, he hadn't even participated in the second phase of the electoral campaign. Disconcerting behavior for anyone who is the recognized leader of a vast political spectrum. His staunchest supporters (Capezzone, Santanchè and Verdini) limit themselves to circulating the thesis on talk shows according to which it is almost obvious that the right will not win when he is not on the field. Meanwhile, they entrust the pugnacious Brunetta with the task, much appreciated by the new group leader, of keeping the Letta government under fire, demanding that they find, whatever the cost, the money to prevent the VAT increase from being triggered and to abolish the 'Imu on the first house. As for Minister Saccomanni, who speaks more prudently of "remodulation" of the Imu, he is only a technician who has to apply what the majority tells him. Meanwhile, other loyalists of the boss, who rushed before the vote for the ballots in Sardinia, are thinking of a return to Forza Italia. In short, it is better that instead of a party there is an electoral committee, ready to support Silvio in any case in the next general elections.
Yet even in the PDL there are those who are far from convinced by this type of solution. Even before the local elections, a shrewd and long-time politician like Fabrizio Cicchitto, anticipating and predicting the outcome of last Monday's run-offs, had raised the problem of organizing and strengthening the party. Because otherwise elections are lost on the territory, and this, in the long run, wears out any leadership. Cicchitto's reasonable positions (a party can remain charismatic even with democratic rules not imposed from above) have so far not found much support (the exception could be Bondi) within the PDL. It is known that Berlusconi has almost an allergy to the word party and it is no coincidence that he has always spoken of "my movement", both in relation to Forza Italia and the PDL. Yet in the last administrations it was precisely the anti-political and populist movements that paid the heaviest electoral price: from the now "historic" Lega to the very recent five stars. This also explains the very high percentage of abstentionists from voting. Anti-politics sentiment remains very high, but voters trust less and less those who have so far ridden that sentiment.
We will see in the next few days if the theses of Cicchitto, and perhaps of Bondi, will take hold in the internal debate of the PDL. However, the impression is that the majority, made up of pure and hard Berlusconi, prefer a return to the Forza Italia formula, entirely in the hands of Silvio. Thus it will be less and less conditioned by those who, like the secretary and vice-president of the Council Angelino Alfano, occasionally try to assert the reasons for politics even with Berlusconi. But it is known that in the PDL there are those who think that the government of broad agreements serves above all the purpose of posing the problem of the incompatibility between party office and government office in Alfano. And then if the formula chosen is that of Forza Italia, then it means that the political elections, pace of the Letta government, will have to be close. With Silvio (proceedings and registry office permitting) candidate and in any case leader. And above all with Porcellum.
