Matteo Salvini: "We were unable to detect the Italians' request for change"

• Elections Italy will save 100 million euros with the cut of parliamentarians

The leader of the League, Matteo Salvini, takes stock in this interview of the regional elections and the referendum to cut the number of legislators, held last Sunday and Monday.

The referendum vote ended with 69.56% of votes in favor of the reduction of parliamentarians.

.

Results that stopped in his tracks Salvini's "assault" on the coalition government led by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.

QUESTION.- How has the result of the regional elections been taken?

Dejected?

ANSWER.-

No. I have two new numbers to play in the Lottery.

They are 46 and 70: 46 were the regional councilors that the League had until September 19;

70 are what we have today.

Q.- Matteo Salvini is known for his optimism.

In fact, theirs are convinced that, without that trait of their character, the impetuous rise of the League between 2014 and 2019 would not have been possible.

And it's true.

However, it seems difficult to deny the disappointments of Tuscany, Puglia and Campania.

R.-

And who denies them?

Actually, based on the most recent data, the elections have been very good for us.

We remove several municipalities from the center-left and we are awaiting the final count in some municipalities ...

Q.- And in Lombardy?

He may also have some problems in the cradle of the League.

R.-

We have won a dozen municipalities and we are fighting for the final count in Lecco.

I would like to add that even in the Bergamo area, with the exception of Clusone, we have done very well.

And I say this, because there is a certain reading according to which those areas would have been disillusioned with the center-right.

Q.- The problem is in the south.

Is it difficult for you to implant there?

A.-

In the south, in Puglia and Campania, it was the offer of the center-right in general that did not live up to the circumstances.

And, of course, we will have to rethink the situation.

I will bring the regional coordinators together and, with the facts in hand, we will examine where and how we made mistakes.

However, it must be taken into account that in Puglia and Campania we were starting from scratch.

Now, we have six regional councilors.

We grow.

Quietly, without worries, without fuss.

Q.- In Tuscany, you put yourself in the hands of Susanna Ceccardi and an underrated Eugenio Giani.

R.-

Susanna ran a great electoral campaign and, believe me, I do not underestimate anyone.

On the contrary, we do not forget that we are talking about a region where the left has ruled since the postwar period.

Five years ago, our candidate took 20%, today we have doubled the results and we are at 40.

Q.- Do you regret the moderation shown?

R.-

No way.

After the virus, people want facts and little controversy.

Precisely for this reason, I also did not respond to the attacks, aggressions, insults and investigations against me.

Q.- Have the investigations harmed you or are the electorate no longer paying attention to them?

R.-

Stop.

Stop.

I will never say anything about these issues.

I very much respect the work of the judges.

Q.- On Monday sparks flew between you and Giorgia Meloni.

She denies that there are leadership problems.

But is it not normal to ask those questions of leadership, when a party is growing as the Brothers of Italy have been doing in recent years?

R.-

As long as there is growth within the coalition, that is good for everyone.

For me it's ok.

If one team wins, the whole team wins.

If you lose, you lose because of the decisions everyone made.

In any case, I do not make the mistakes of others, least of all my allies.

I can say that in Puglia and Campania we were unable to detect the request for change coming from the citizens.

And now, we must look to the future.

In 2021 all the major Italian cities will vote, and all of them are in the hands of the Democratic Party or the 5 Star Movement [M5S].

I will propose to the coalition that it chooses as candidates professionals and people from the business world.

Even if they don't have the party card in their wallet.

The alliance must expand.

Q.- Let's go back to Rome.

Don't you think that the result of the regional elections and the referendum strengthens both the Government and the Legislature?

R.-

Do you think so?

If I look at the election results, I see that the first party in Parliament, the M5S, has disappeared from five Italian regions.

And would we be the losers ...?

In Veneto, they don't have a councilor, in Tuscany maybe one ... Is it possible that a party that only exists in Parliament can govern for a long time?

Q.- What do you think?

R.-

I think not.

For this reason, in these moments, Giuseppe Conte must listen to us.

It is not possible to govern with a disappeared political force, but even less against a coalition that has 15 of the 20 regional presidents.

Q.- What do you want them to pay attention to?

A.-

The other day I went to Micam, the Italian fashion shoe fair.

As far as I know, no one appeared from the Government.

Is it possible that such an important sector, with a thousand international exhibitors, does not invite anyone from the Government to present themselves?

It seems unthinkable to me.

If they had come, perhaps they would have discovered this: in order to block layoffs, companies fear they will have to lay off 30 workers out of 100. Therefore, we ask that we be listened to and that a real plan to support the companies, a real plan to reopen schools and, sorry if I insist, a real safety plan.

© Corriere della Sera

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