It risks being a blind meeting, the one expected for the late morning in Arcore between Silvio Berlusconi and Umberto Bossi. A meeting which should also be attended by Economy Minister Giulio Tremonti and the newly appointed secretary of the PDL Angelino Alfano, as well as Roberto Calderoli and, probably, the young Renzo Bossi. Everything suggests that Bossi above all will want to keep his cards as covered as possible, pending the results of the referendum next Sunday and Monday.
Yes, because the clarification of the political situation and, in particular, of the future of the Government, largely depend on whether or not a quorum has been reached in the referendum consultation. An achievement that the oppositions are chasing and that Berlusconi fears, to the point of having tried to protect his executive from that hypothesis by supporting the absolute political irrelevance of the consultations and giving freedom to vote to supporters of his party. An affirmation which however is in fact denied by the appeal presented by the Government to the Constitutional Court, which will be pronounced tomorrow, against the decision of the Cassation to admit the question on nuclear power.
However, some signals from the Arcore summit should come especially with regard to the 40 billion euro economic package requested of us by Europe and which Tremonti should develop, just as the prime minister is asking him to release the funds necessary for the tax reform. Meanwhile, everything is in flux in the PDL and Alfano's suggestion to the secretariat was not enough to restore calm. There are many in the PDL (Scaiola in the lead) who bet on the recovery of the UDC and more generally on restarting the dialogue with the centrist formations. But in order for the dialogue to become practicable Casini has asked in no uncertain terms that Berlusconi take a step back. Just what the premier has no intention of doing.
Bersani is also aiming for the alliance with the third pole to build the alternative government, which today brings together the leadership of the Democratic Party. But even here we have to deal with Casini's resistance to entering into alliances in which Di Pietro and Vendola also participate. But something is moving. The new element was brought into play by the mayors of Milan and Naples: Pisapia and de Magistris, referred to by many as "extremists".
Well Pisapia in Milan offered the centrist Tabacci a sort of budget super-department, while in Naples the first attentions of the new mayor were dedicated to his centrist competitor Raimondo Pasquino, who could be the new president of the city council. All while in Bologna Mayor Merola brings the independent economist Silvia Giannini (councillor and deputy mayor), full professor of Finance Sciences at the University of the Emilian capital, to the council.
