Meloni’s timing. She is manipulating the schedule, but is bringing the vote forward to June (which may suit Schlein).

From Ascoli, Giorgia Meloni plays down the speculation: “I’m not following these debates about the election date, which I find surreal. There’s still a year to go. I’ll leave that matter to others.” Those others are her lieutenants in Parliament, who are scrutinising the calendar and the polls. And they’re circling dates in red: in recent hours, the possibility of June has been gaining ground: the 6th or the 20th. It is a possibility that, paradoxically, might even appeal to Elly Schlein, who, alongside the PD’s power broker Igor Taruffi, is advancing at a mountain dweller’s pace: the secretary knows that work on the manifesto needs to be stepped up, but she is in no hurry regarding the primaries. And then there is the Constitutional Court to wait for, along with the appeals.

Speaking yesterday in these columns about possible elections in June was Undersecretary Giovanbattista Fazzolari. This prospect is being bandied about amongst other Meloni supporters in a packed Transatlantico chamber, where the Stabilicum has just been approved. Antonio Tajani and Matteo Salvini, from Forza Italia and the League respectively, have other plans: they would prefer the polls to be held in the autumn, perhaps even in November, to sort out their internal squabbles. Within FdI, however, other factors are being weighed, and the option of bringing the election forward is under consideration. There had been talk of April, but now June is gaining ground. Francesco Filini, the policy expert who heads FdI’s think tank, says: “June is a possibility. Of course, we could also vote in October.” As per the natural deadline. “But it would be better to hold the election sooner, for the sake of the Budget Bill.”

These are the lines of reasoning circulating in the Via della Scrofa area, where one always looks at the bigger picture from the opposite perspective, as Roberto Vannacci does. The bet is that Futuro Nazionale may soon run out of steam. Better to take advantage of the situation. Among the drawbacks of a spring election – though April remains a possibility – are the local elections, with major cities going to the polls and an almost inevitable ‘election day’, which could favour the left. In recent hours, however, another line of thinking has gained ground: the momentum of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has stood for office multiple times, could also carry over to the local level, neutralising the opposition’s advantage. FdI’s allies are not entirely convinced. What, then, does Giovanni Donzelli, the party’s watchdog against mavericks, think? He has been repeating, and even joking about, the following for several days: “The vote is on 28 November, my birthday.” And the Budget Bill? “What’s the problem? We’ll pass it earlier.” This, too, is actually part of a strategy which has so far thrown the broad coalition into disarray, as it continues to grapple with the difficult task of defining its scope, its programme and its leader. Over there, they’re pinning their hopes on appeals to the Constitutional Court, but in the meantime they’re pressing ahead – or at least trying to. Signs are being held aloft from the benches in the Chamber of Deputies: “Scam law”. But shortly afterwards, within Democratic Party circles, more than a few aren’t too disheartened, because, after all, this law could come in handy. For Schlein in particular: with 42 per cent and the majority bonus, no more backroom deals. “And the PD will only form a government by winning the elections,” the Democratic Party secretary has been saying for some time. Furthermore, with the prime ministerial candidate specified in the manifesto, the Democratic Party leader can proceed directly to the primaries and keep the party united. Moreover, as some malicious tongues point out, even the latest signals coming from the right must not displease the Nazareno: voting in June also means being able to hold the primaries later, between January and February, without having to cater to the demands of their ally-rival Conte, who would prefer them to be held as soon as possible. This is also why Galeazzo Bignami can take a dig at the left. And to those who point out that there were indeed a few mavericks on the right – at least a dozen, though insignificant, with 227 votes in favour – he replies: “I had already anticipated a higher number” of votes in favour of the Melonellum. “It is so well-received that even part of the opposition voted for it.” The Democrat Federico Fornaro retorts: “As usual, you’re trying to muddy the waters.” The election campaign is now truly underway.