Meloni’s “gesture of goodwill” towards anti-Salvini governors: ZES in the north

She has an ally who has made enemies, so now she is the one trying to appease them. For Giorgia Meloni, what she said to Zaia still holds true: “The north will always find an ally in the government, not an enemy”. This is also why the Prime Minister has decided to reassure the ‘rebels’ who expect ‘answers from Matteo Salvini before Pontida’ and, in the meantime, are excluding him from the festivities in Lombardy. Hence the promise to extend the single Special Economic Zone (SEZ) to the whole of the country – a significant concession, as it will have to withstand EU scrutiny and resistance from the ministers themselves (just ask Urso). In short, Meloni is adopting the Ferretti (Giovanni Lindo) ruling: “Of course the circumstances aren’t favourable – as if they ever are. We should… we should do nothing. We must accept what is; we must accept the present.”

The first to turn up his nose at the actual extension of the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) to the national level was Luigi Sbarra, the Under-Secretary for the South. If only because, as he had explained, at most “administrative simplifications could be extended”, precisely to avoid drawing criticism from the European Union. This point was also highlighted by Adolfo Urso, Minister for Enterprise and ‘Made in Italy’, who had initially expressed enthusiasm for the proposal. Yet, at the same time, he had significantly limited the scope of the measure. So much so that Lombardy’s President, Attilio Fontana, did not hold back at a Lega party: “As the Lega, we have tabled a bill, but the Minister for ‘Made in Italy’ says: ‘Yes, but no money’. So what use is that to me? It means you’re really taking the mickey out of me’.” The two then diplomatically played down the matter, saying they had cleared the air. The funding issue, however, remained on the table, also because, in the meantime, Confindustria—and particularly its president, Emanuele Orsini—had begun calling on the government to make a concrete, substantial commitment. With the autumn and the long election campaign set to begin in the coming months in mind, Meloni has become convinced that the ZES should indeed be extended to the whole country. This would encompass most of the incentives which, as the Prime Minister pointed out on Thursday evening at the Affaritaliani ‘La Piazza’ event, have so far “generated a turnover of 60 billion euros in Southern Italy, helping these regions to grow at a rate above the national average. The impact this is having on growth and employment is plain for all to see, and we want to amplify its benefits”. Among the northern governors – from Fontana to the President of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Massimiliano Fedriga, and the President of Trentino, Maurizio Fugatti (and, of course, Zaia, who has, however, since had to hand over his post in Veneto to Alberto Stefani, who has distanced himself somewhat from the governors’ camp) – the introduction of measures to benefit the northern regions is seen as a complement to ‘differentiated autonomy’ – another asset with which, at least according to the expressed hope, it may be possible to win back some of the identity-based vote in these areas. But it is obvious that, whilst moving in the desired direction, the ZES in itself will not resolve all the tensions within the Carroccio.

Between now and 20 September, when the national rally in Pontida is scheduled to take place, every day is a good day for the so-called clarification that Fontana, Zaia, Romeo & Co. are expecting from the secretary. On this front, although the signs may still be subtle, several party activists (and others) have pointed out that Salvini has been ‘excluded’ from certain long-standing provincial Lega festivals in Lombardy, which typically take place at the end of August and serve, in part, to prepare the grassroots ahead of Pontida. Last year, the secretary took part in the Bólgher Fest, a ten-day event organised in the province of Bergamo – the same province as the ‘Pratone’ – where this year’s guest of honour was Senate group leader Massimiliano Romeo (last night). This is a sign that these events are increasingly becoming a focal point for northern discontent. Salvini, however, does not currently appear to be among the speakers scheduled for the Lega festival in Brugherio, in Brianza (he attended last year). He will, however, be taking part in the festival scheduled for next week in Oppeano, in the province of Verona. This perhaps explains why, in recent weeks, the ‘Capitano’ has preferred to take refuge in the more neutral Trentino region, specifically in Pinzolo.

In any case, as well as offering an olive branch to a party at risk of imploding, the ZES dossier in the north also allows Meloni to shift the focus back to the business sector, with the election in mind. It is no coincidence, in short, that on 4 September – albeit from Bari – the Prime Minister, as well as claiming credit for the results of four years in government, will set out a sort of agenda for what needs to be done from here on out, a ‘wrap-up of the parliamentary term’ (provided the electoral law is passed; otherwise, ‘we’ll all be out of a job’, is the message delivered to the reluctant deputy prime ministers). With references to a Budget Bill that is expected to include many of the measures needed to continue reducing the tax wedge. And by seeking to extend (as far as possible) the incentives for businesses. It remains to be seen whether, in the meantime, the League will still be a united party.