Politics
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Vannacci responds to Fazzolari: “Me, Barbapapa? He’s the one who changes shape for convenience.” Meanwhile, his supporters are seeking an agreement with the centre-right
The general accuses the undersecretary: “He calls me Barbapapà, but he’s the one who pulled the ‘Fazzotrucco’ stunt” and, on the electoral law, is doing the opposite of what he was calling for in 2019. Despite the row, Fn MPs are seeking an alliance with the centre-right, but Lollobrigida is holding them back: “We don’t need them”. Meanwhile, the undersecretary’s interview with Il Foglio at Palazzo Chigi has sparked debate within the ruling coalition over the date of the election. Tajani: “For FI, the vote will take place at the end of the parliamentary term.”
Vannacci’s response to Fazzolari the activities of Vannacci’s supporters
Speaking to Il Foglio, Giovanbattista Fazzolari, Under-Secretary to the Prime Minister’s Office, said: “I see no difference whatsoever between Vannacci and Giuseppe Conte. They’re like the Barbapapas, to quote Giorgia, because they change shape to suit their own interests. And we won’t ally ourselves with anyone who behaves like that.”
The general, via news agencies and social media, replied almost immediately: “Fazzolari addresses me as ‘Barbapapa’, but, clearly, he is thinking of himself and his little friends. It is he and his party colleagues who change their stance to suit their own interests.” The general then refers to a draft bill for constitutional reform tabled by FdI during the previous parliamentary term (2019) and signed, amongst others, by Fazzolari himself. The proposal provided for the amendment of Article 73 of the Constitution, stipulating that new electoral laws could not come into force until 24 months after their approval – a measure designed to prevent changes to the voting system just a few months before an election, which was branded at the time by the Brothers as “a dubious and distorted use, if not an abuse, of legislative power”. Having recalled the bill, Vannacci then criticizes Fazzolari: “Today, it is he himself and his colleagues, who form the majority, who are pushing ahead with what they themselves had described as a dubious and distorted practice. And I’m supposed to be the one who views politics in an opportunistic way? It’s a Fazzolari trick that leaves you speechless!”
However, while the general and the undersecretary are at loggerheads, Fn MPs are seeking an agreement with the centre-right. Speaking in the Chamber during the explanation of vote (and announcing the Fn’s vote against the motion), MP Edoardo Ziello said: “We are ready for dialogue, because our priority is to ensure that the likes of Bonelli, Fratoianni, Conte and Schlein do not return to lead the nation. But we need respect from your side; in my view, the time has come to begin a serious dialogue to understand whether the conditions for this alliance are in place.” This call for openness was immediately rebuffed by Francesco Lollobrigida, Minister for Agriculture and head of the FdI delegation in the government: “We have no need to engage in discussions with those in the opposition who want to send us home every day.”
The debate over the date of the vote
Meanwhile, Fazzolari’s interview is causing a stir within the majority over the date of the vote. Speaking to Il Foglio, the undersecretary had said: “Voting in June would give the next government leeway to draw up the budget bill at its leisure.” Forza Italia’s Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani was quick to put the brakes on: “And why in June? Fazzolari is free to say what he likes, but I believe we should wait until the end of the parliamentary term.” FdI MP Giovanni Donzelli also sought to smooth things over: "These are reflections he has made on the various possibilities, but I believe that the objective – which our allies have also expressed – of seeing out the parliamentary term is a shared objective."