"Responsibility is solving problems and not hiding them despite the fact that the crisis has been going on for months": that's why Matteo Renzi announces his resignation from the Government of Italia Viva in the person of the ministers Bellanova and Bonetti and the undersecretary Scalfarotto ma it doesn't close all the doors to the hypotheses of a legislative pact with the forces of the outgoing majority. With a preliminary ruling though: no reversals and no agreements with the right.
Three reasons that led, as was largely predictable, to the exit of Italia Viva from the Government despite the prime minister's last-minute attempt Giuseppe Conte to renounce, after a passage to the Quirinale, the ultimatum launched yesterday to Renzi and his proposal to relaunch the current majority with a legislative pact. Renzi explained them in the press conference he held in the Chamber to announce his resignation from the government: the first is a question of method (“We have not given full powers to Salvini and we will not give them to Conte”), the second is one matter of merit and concerns all the problems left unresolved by the Conte Government 2 - from work to school, from infrastructure to healthcare and the secret services - and the third concerns the Recovery Plan, which has been improved but not enough above all because it does not contain any reference to the need to use the Mes to deal with the dramatic health and pandemic emergency. It is no coincidence that Europe has let its concern filter through about the way Italy is preparing to spend the mountain of billions that will arrive from Brussels.
“It takes courage to resign but for us – added Renzi – politics is not chasing followers but to solve problems in compliance with democratic rules”. The leader also underlined that, out of a sense of responsibility, Iv is "ready to lend a hand to the majority" and to vote on the anti-Covid rules, the budget variance and the Refreshments and also to discuss a legislative pact but in Parliament. Almost an external support to the majority.
What will happen now? It is evident that the crisis is in fact open and, since Conte has ruled out wanting to appeal to the Scilipoti on duty and to put together small majorities in the Senate, the premier is expected to return to the President of the Republic to formally resign or appear in Parliament.
What can happen next? Or the formation of a Conte ter government or the birth of a new government but with a different prime minister by Conte or the arrival of a institutional government. Recourse to early elections is entirely unlikely, but in the next few hours we will better understand the course that the crisis will take. Renzi, while not appreciating it very much, did not prejudge Conte's reappointment but significantly added that for Palazzo Chigi "there are also other names". Much will depend on the Democratic Party, which for now – as well as the Five Stars – has stigmatized Renzi's tear: it will be Zingaretti's party that will have to decide whether to continue supporting Conte or change sides. The important thing – warned the Head of State, Sergio Mattarella – is that we act quickly and that the crisis is resolved quickly.
And with you? The premier is furious: his reversal after the visit to the Quirinale was not enough to change Renzi's mind but Conte has not yet decided on the next moves, even if Mattarella - in addition to the Pd - has made him understand that he does not like signing campaigns in Parliament and the birth of shaky majorities. “Italia Viva has assumed the responsibility of opening a crisis in the midst of the pandemic, causing serious damage to the country” thundered Conte who for now seems to want to freeze the crisis but who confided to his loyalists that he no longer wants to deal with Renzi. We will see.
But was it really inevitable to open a government crisis in the midst of a pandemic? "Precisely because the country is living in a dramatic situation - Renzi replied - an immobile Government cannot be accepted that postpones problems instead of solving them”.
