The PDL is not there. Precisely on the day in which the Democratic Party regroups around Romano Prodi's candidacy for the office of President of the Republic (presumably from the fourth vote, when a simple majority of 504 votes will suffice), after Marini's flop yesterday, the party of Berlusconi goes on a rampage and shouts tear.
“Prodi president of the Republic? – asks the vice president of the Chamber of Deputies ironically Maurizio Lupi -. Communists never change. First the interests of a crumbling and disarrayed party and then that of the Italians. Thanks to the mess with the grillini we will have Prodi president of the Republic. The new advancing!!! Poor Italy". A mess with the grillini which, however, seems far away, because Grillo swears: "We don't even dream of voting for Prodi".
Also controversial Fabrizio Cicchitto, who in a note states: “The Democratic Party first reached an agreement with us on Marini which it was unable or unwilling to honor. It is clear that the choice of Prodi is disruptive”; and the vice president of the Senate Maurizio Gasparri: “Prodi's is a choice that divides. The opposite of what Italy needs”.
A choice, that of Prodi, which not being shared by the center-right (which instead had given the go-ahead for Franco Marini) risks not only not passing (although the fourth ballot is by simple majority, votes are still needed in addition to those of the Democratic Party) , but to cause a rupture in view of the imminent formation of a new government: almost certainly the eventual ascension of Prodi to Colle will be farewell to broad agreements and rather the prologue to a new electoral campaign.
But there is also another twist in the endless mystery of the Quirinale: not even Monti's Civic Choice will support Prodi's choice, and he has already made an official counter-proposal, that of Interior Minister Anna Maria Cancellieri. The Cancellieri was proposed by the Montiani both to Bersani, who however veered on the former prime minister, reuniting all the democratic troops (including the young Turks and Renzians), and to the PDL, which she instead opened. "For us Cancellieri could be fine, let's talk about it," said Maurizio Gasparri.
