Lega vs Forza Italia. The two allies are even at loggerheads over the clashes in Milan: “Stunned by FI”. And the Carroccio shelves the ius scholae

He states that ius soli and ius scholae are definitively a thing of the past. He has scheduled a meeting with the Home Secretary, “but not before the vote”. If there is one government figure who has been jumping on the bandwagon for a few days now regarding the violent protests in Milan, with the aim of gaining political capital from them, it is undoubtedly Matteo Salvini. Yesterday, the Deputy Prime Minister held a press conference – with rather fortuitous timing – in the Lombard capital itself, to present a bill, sponsored primarily by Igor Iezzi, which aims to expand the range of ‘anti-Maranza’ measures. In particular, the draft bill addresses cases of ‘forfeiture’ or ‘revocation’ of citizenship for those who commit certain offences, especially if committed by minors. However, critical voices have emerged from Forza Italia regarding the ‘blaming’ of foreigners. League members such as Toccalini have retorted: ‘Whose side are they on?’ (Roberto continues in Supplement I)

The League had already proposed a crackdown on citizenship during the proceedings of the Chamber of Deputies’ Constitutional Affairs Committee. And Forza Italia had taken a dim view of the extreme rhetoric, which insisted on revoking citizenship from minors. Now that one of the party’s flagship proposals – the ius scholae – has even been shelved, it is clear that discontent is rife amongst the ‘Azzurri’. This is particularly true of the so-called wing linked to Roberto Occhiuto, who, just ten days ago, speaking at Il Foglio’s festival in Florence, had reiterated: “Yes to a citizenship law in the centre-right’s election manifesto”. But the unease within the party has become even more evident at local level. “Violence must be condemned without hesitation, and the safety of citizens, workers and families is sacrosanct,” said Amir Atrous yesterday, head of the Immigration Department at Forza Italia Milan. But “on the right, there are those who have already started to target foreigners, simply to avoid admitting that, when it comes to the real reasons behind the protests – from the high cost of living to the unsustainable cost of housing and rents, right through to wages that have been stagnant for thirty years – politicians have failed to provide adequate answers”, he added. So much so that the secretary of the Lega in the province of Milan, Samuele Piscina, felt compelled to respond, stating that Atrous’s words “are staggering and demonstrate a total disconnect from the reality that the people of Milan experience first-hand every day. I am absolutely certain that this is not the view of Forza Italia, a serious party with which we govern and which has always prioritised the rule of law and security. I do wonder, however, at this point, how it is possible that someone whose views are so far removed from our values and the real problems faced by citizens is still a member of the party.”

However, the fact that the situation has gone too far is demonstrated by the fact that even national representatives of the Carroccio, such as Luca Toccalini, have ended up in the fray with some very pointed statements: “I read Atrous’s words and I struggle to tell whether it is a representative of Forza Italia speaking, or Fratoianni or Schlein. Forza Italia Milan’s head of immigration seems more concerned with explaining the motives of those who wreak havoc in cities than with calling a spade a spade: anyone who spends the weekend smashing up shops, stealing goods and vandalising property – even at the age of 12 or 13 – cannot be regarded merely as a victim of circumstances; they are a delinquent who must be treated as such”. Atrous then countered by saying he was “grateful for the differences with the League”. Indeed, even in Brussels, FI MEPs had called for a far more measured “joint European response to the devastation in the cities”. Although later that evening Tajani indicated an openness to new measures “against violent minors”. This marks a further bout of turbulence, at a time when relations between the League and Forza Italia are already far from calm. Forza Italia is putting pressure on Minister Giorgetti to ensure that the income tax cut is included in the Budget Bill, whilst the League has other priorities, ranging from further pension reforms to the flat tax. A cocktail of misunderstandings which, combined with the clashes in the cities and the differing approaches to resolving them, risks becoming explosive. Despite Meloni’s mediation efforts.