“Whoever makes a mistake pays.” It should have been the slogan of the referendum campaign, to explain that even magistrates who make mistakes must answer for them. But after the No to justice reform, “he who makes mistakes, pays” is the new watchword of Giorgia Meloniwho allegedly vented to her main collaborators, saying she was no longer willing to cover for anyone. It often happens within a group that the leader takes on the responsibilities of his subordinates, defending them strenuously. But after the defeat on March 22 and 23, the President of the Council he understood that greater rigor is needed, because in the next few months everything will be at stake for the majority, in particular the possibility of winning the elections again.
Giorgia Meloni’s new penalty after the defeat
So, the first heads began to roll. Giusi Bartolozziplenipotentiary of the minister Carlo Nordiopaid for some imprudent remarks uttered in front of the cameras of a local television. The undersecretary Andrea Delmastro Delle Vedove he is paying for the mess of having become a partner of a restaurateur convicted as a figurehead for criminal circles. Both were somehow held responsible for the climate that led to the referendum defeat.
With regard to Daniela Santanchè no one blames her for Monday’s bad result, because on the issue of justice the Minister of Tourism stayed away, avoiding taking a position. And yet what is embarrassing is the personal troubles of the “python”. Although the trials are still to be celebrated and therefore she, like anyone else, must be considered innocent until proven guilty, the accusations against her are serious, because we are talking about bankruptcy, INPS fraud, false accounting: Not really peanuts. A step back, without this meaning in any way an admission of guilt, was therefore appropriate.
The climb towards politics and the specter of the Hill
Because although neither Bartolozzi, nor Delmastro and therefore not even Santanchè can be transformed into scapegoats for the defeat, it is clear that after Monday’s defeat the atmosphere has changed. If before, all things considered, the end of the legislature seemed to be going downhill and therefore it was a question of preparing for the 2027 elections, now the period that separates us from the next political elections is uphill. And not just for the war in Irandue to the increase in the price of petrol and gas, but also because the vote on justice reform he made it clear that losing is possible.
If before Monday, faced with the Brancaleone army of the opposition, no one considered defeat realistic, now being beaten is among the possibilities. Just as we cannot discount the possibility that, if the center-right lost, in 2029 a Sergio Mattarella another Mattarella happens. Let’s be clear: not him, who in three years would be close to 90, but someone politically similar to him, that is, from the left.
Therefore, we need to correct our course, because otherwise we end up off track. And here the initial purpose returns: “Whoever makes a mistake pays”. It should have been valid for magistrates, if the justice reform had been approved, it will begin to apply to politicians, at least for those of the current majority. Some might argue that it would have been better to have Bartolozzi, Delmastro and Santanchè resign before and not after the elections. True, perhaps it would have been appropriate, but it is equally true that dividing the front and causing a few heads to fall close to the vote could also have had the opposite effect, i.e. making the government appear fragile and lame.
A protest vote between Gaza and foreign policy
That said, I think that neither Nordio’s plenipotentiary, nor her undersecretary, nor even the Minister of Tourism have much to do with the defeat. The No to the referendum is mainly a protest votean expression of dissent on issues in which the government has no responsibility. Gaza, Iran, Trump, Netanyahu and the weapons to Ukraine I believe pushed a couple of million voters to the polls, who probably cared the right thing about justice reform, i.e. zero.
As experts on electoral flows say, perhaps many of those who said No will not even return to vote and, if they do, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will be for the Democratic Party or the 5 Star Movement. However, regardless of what happens, the center-right cannot be caught unprepared. You need to swerve before you crash. And therefore maximum attention is needed to avoid accidents. Whether their name is Bartolozzi, Delmastro or Santanchè.
