All the tensions in the coalitions ahead of the local elections
Federico Guiglia's point
The great challenge of the municipal vote on June 12, the first return to the polls at the time of the war in Ukraine, begins. But this time it will not be one of the many and usual administrative appointments that follow one after the other between national, regional and European elections, and not only because of the climate of great concern for a peace that does not reach the heart of Europe. How much and how will the conflict in full and tragic course affect the nearly nine million voters called to choose the mayors of their cities?
At stake are 978 municipalities scattered throughout most of Italy. A patchy local test that will also have a national significance. So much so that, despite being a citizens' judgment on how to administer their own territory, there is no lack of controversy and political divisions on lists and candidates.
For the center-right, in search of lost unity also in support of the Draghi government (Lega and Forza Italia in the majority, Brothers of Italy in opposition), the most emblematic case is Verona.
The outgoing mayor, Federico Sboarina, presents himself with a center-right support reversed compared to the national one: Fdi and Lega with him, while Forza Italia supports the former mayor Flavio Tosi. At the moment, also divided in Sicily (where, however, we will vote in the autumn) on the candidacy of the outgoing governor, Nello Musumeci. Fdi for reconfirmation, Forza Italia and Lega are opposed or hesitated.
Similar discontent reigns in the center-left. They hold the administrative arrangements between the Pd and M5S, where they have been made. But the aftermath appears uncertain. Conte's critical positions on military aid to Ukraine and against Draghi ("the government does not have a political mandate on war"), question the idea of the "wide-ranging eco-progressive alliance" that the leader of Pd, Letta.
The dialogue continues, but the tension remains high in view of the elections in 2023. "This is the last government of the legislature", Letta tells those who wanted to trip Draghi in times of war and pandemic.
This is why the vote of 12 June, loaded, moreover, by the concomitant vote of the 5 referendums on justice, will not be politically harmless: it will in any case give an indication of the balance on both fronts depending on the outcome of the lists and candidates. It has always been like that.
But now there is also Putin 's “P” factor to make the challenge more fierce.
Published in the Arena of Verona and Bresciaoggi
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/mondo/tutte-le-tensioni-nelle-coalizioni-in-vista-delle-elezioni-amministrative/ on Tue, 17 May 2022 08:34:10 +0000.