While Marcello Foa declares to remain in his capacity “senior advisor”, the usually well-informed D'Agostino tells some interesting background, of which we were also partly aware (n.d.r.):
SALVINI'S HOSTILE OBSERVATION FOR "FORZA ITALIA": THE DOORS OF THE LEAGUE ARE OPEN FOR LOCAL ADMINISTRATORS WHO DECIDE TO QUIT BERLUSCONI – THE CAV, WHO WOULD HAVE WANTED TO MEDIATE ON FOA, HE WAS WITH HIS BACK TO THE WALL: TAJANI HAS THREATENED TO RESIGN IN CASE OF SURRENDER TO SALVINI – AND WITH HIM, IN THE FRONT ROW, GHEDINI WAS AGAINST THE LEAGUE – THE RISK OF APPOINTMENTS
1 – BERLUSCONI HELD, HIS PEOPLE REBEL AND TAJANI THREATENES TO RESIGN AS VICE
Amedeo in the Morning for “the Press”
SALVINI BERLUSCONI
Now the doors of the League will open, indeed they will open wide for the local administrators of Forza Italia. And according to the Northern League there are many who are knocking on Matteo Salvini's door, the "Captain" who has his political sails full of good electoral winds. While they see the floppy blue ones, with l’ Admiral of the’ former blue ship in disarmament, listless, little interested in the opposition naval battle in the yellow-green waters. So far l’ agreement between Silvio Berlusconi and Matteo Salvini was not to go to war: no openings to parliamentarians, to regional and municipal councilors.
GENNARO SANGIULIANO WITH SALVINI AND TAJANI
The Northern League leader does not receive the same courtesy treatment’ he reserved for Giorgia Meloni who suffered several haemorrhages (in Rome l’ another day a municipal councilor and eleven in the municipalities left Fratelli d’ Italy to join the League). Now the same painful massage will be done in Forza Italia. It is one of the first consequences of the rift on the name of Marcello Foa as president of Rai. A political rupture in the centre-right which goes well beyond the question of the name and which Berlusconi himself has tried to avoid if what they say that the Cavaliere yesterday morning is true, when Salvini went to visit him at the San Raffaele in Milan, he would have given his ok.
“You got the wrong method” «I have nothing against Foa, but dear Matteo you have the wrong method: you should have called me, at least to tell me that you had made this choice. Instead you did everything on your own and now we find ourselves in this mess.".
MARCELLO FOA
The Northern League deputy prime minister replied that he did not believe there would be any problems regarding the name of a former journalist of the "Giornale". And then, they blurt out from Forza Italia, Salvini would have said that the point is not who sits in the highest seat on Viale Mazzini, but the rest: CEO, programming choices, containers and talks.
Again according to blue sources, Salvini would have pointed out that there are still many public appointments to be made: a break with Rai would mean putting Fi out of any sphere of influence. Whether this reconstruction is true or false, categorically denied by the League, Berlusconi's openness remains. He would have told Salvini that it was not his intention to break the center-right, in short, ok with Foa, but the problem would have been the party: «I need to hear what they think…».
TAJANI SALVINI
While this conversation was taking place, the FI parliamentarians in the Supervision commission, all 8,30 they abstained, pelleting Foa. Berlusconi had not had time to communicate the counter-order, so to speak, companions. Then the drama happened, when word had spread in Montecitorio that the leader of Arcore had given in, that in the next round Fi would vote for Foa. Indeed, Berlusconi was doing an interview with HuffigtonPost to say that after all Foa is one of ours… At that point there was a’ unprecedented uprising among the Azzurri. Antonio Tajani led the rebellion, vice president appointed by the Knight to save the political fortunes of the reduced blue movement (according to the latest polls at 7%).
GHEDINI
Tajani threatened to resign if that interview with the yes to Foa came out and almost the entire House and Senate group rallied around him. In the front row Nicolò Ghedini and others. They accuse the Northern League leader of having "fallen in love" with the’ yellow-green alliance which could be replicated in the next regional elections.
To Tajani. The "rebels" think that Salvini wanted to create the’ accident on purpose. The polls show Fi in free fall and the League on the skids? The mutinous colonels say that the Carroccio was also at 4%: «We'll see in the elections, starting with the 2019 European elections". Berlusconi eventually changed direction’ interview, reiterating the no to Foa.
2 – RAI, FOA REJECTED AND THE CENTER-RIGHT ENDED UP SHATTERED
Alessandro Di Matteo for “the Press”
DI MAIO
It's the perfect storm, the one that was unleashed on Rai. The Supervisory Authority's no to the presidential candidate wanted by Lega and M5s leads to a perhaps definitive divorce between Matteo Salvini and Silvio Berlusconi and risks overwhelming public television under a war of stamped papers and appeals. But the majority is also creaking, with Luigi Di Maio partially distancing himself from the Northern League line. In commission Marcello Foa obtained only 22 votes, while they needed at least some 27 to be able to take office as president.
Fi did not participate in the vote, like Pd and Leu and the majority also had to accept a defection, given that c’ it was an abstention not foreseen on paper.
Everything to do again, no, and the Democratic Party is already threatening “barricades” and appeals to the TAR and the Court of Auditors, if Salvini insists on Foa, despite the rejection.
MATTARELLA
A scenario that also worries the Quirinale. President Sergio Mattarella obviously has no powers in the matter, but he certainly hopes for balanced solutions that avoid forcing. Foa said he was awaiting guidance from the Ministry of Health’ Economy, but Tria doesn't want to go in there: a me, he made it known, is only responsible for the appointment of two councilors and l’ indication of’ a.d. It must be Foa, In short, to decide what to do.
The rupture The rupture occurred in two stages. First act at 8 of the morning, a mezz’ now by the vote of the Supervisory Commission. Salvini tried everything, even going to hospital, where Berlusconi is hospitalized for checks. Vain attempt. Mid-afternoon, Then, Berlusconi has made it clear that there is no’ there were margins for agreements on Foa in extra time.
MEETING IN A BAR IN TRIESTE BETWEEN BERLUSCONI AND SALVINI
After pointing out that he "shared" the FI commissioners' no, he added: «The possible re-proposal of the same name to the supervisory commission cannot be voted on by the members of Forza Italia». Salvini's reply was immediate: «The League notes that Forza Italia has chosen the Democratic Party to try to stop the change».
Mara Carfagna replies: «Angry reaction».
GENNARO SANGIULIANO, PAOLO DEL DEBBIO
Everyone's fear, at this point, is that Salvini wants to continue the conflict. L’ idea would be to prevent the nomination of other presidents, confirming in the Foa board of directors that he would carry out the functions of president as a senior advisor, while we proceed with the Rai appointments: Gennaro Sangiuliano on Tg1, Alberto Matano on Tg2 and Luca Mazzà confirmed on Tg3. A scenario that Di Maio himself, precisely, he failed: «The government cannot ignore the Supervisory Board's vote», he explained. Foa can only be proposed again if c’ it is «a’ understanding", also with Fi, otherwise "the political forces that sit in Supervision that must find an alternative".
GIOVANNI TRIA
According to experts from Forza Italia and Pd, given the failure in Supervision, Marcello Foa can no longer be presented again. Certainly the minister of’ Economy Giovanni Tria wants to stay out of the fight: It's not up to him, he made it known. The Democratic Party with Andrea Marcucci threatens "barricades", while Michele Anzaldi warns that «the Board of Directors is not legitimized, he cannot make decisions. If the councilors listen to Salvini they risk the end of the Meocci case: councilors condemned by the Court of Auditors to pay 11 millions". Salvini, explains a Fi source, «you must give us another name, he can't insist. Tell us who you want and we'll vote for them ».
GIOVANNA BIANCHI CLERIC
Bianchi Clerici returns? There is talk of re-proposing Giovanna Bianchi Clerici, but it would require Foa to step back and M5s would not vote for it because it was condemned by the Court of Auditors. Another name that has been circulating is that of Giampaolo Rossi, councilor elected by Fi and Fdi. And in the last few hours the Rodolfo Laganà solution has also been released, councilor elected by the employees and appreciated by M5s. Salvini, in this scheme, would have compensations on the directors. But for the moment the leader of the League continues.
