Conte has already given so much to the PD, but in the spirit of self-sacrifice he is prepared to take the Quirinale away from them as well

The offer, it must be said, is of such Franciscan self-sacrifice that one really cannot understand why the PD MPs all looked so wary in Parliament yesterday. Rocco Casalino, who was Giuseppe Conte’s spokesperson at Palazzo Chigi, set this out in writing, and yesterday he was keen to point out that he had done it all on his own, because Conte knew nothing about it. That is simply how Giuseppe operates—he gives without even realizing it. And to Elly Schlein, he offers everything. He is relinquishing the candidacy for Prime Minister; he is handing over Giorgia Meloni to be defeated, Matteo Renzi to be kept in line, and Nicola Fratoianni and Angelo Bonelli to be contained; and, in the event of victory, he is also leaving her with the Budget, the striking trade unions, the Stability Pact, the public debt, the excise duties on diesel, the war in Ukraine, and, of course, the price of courgettes.

As for Giuseppe himself, in the unfortunate – though carefully anticipated – event that he were to lose the primaries, he is not asking for anything: ‘A seat of power has never been an issue for me,’ he was still saying as recently as yesterday. Conte is not asking for anything. Or rather, almost nothing: just a small token, a memento, a trifle. A small room with a view—not just a chair but a sitting room—in short, the Quirinale, for seven years, renewable, with board, lodging, and the Cuirassiers. Anyone else in Elly’s position might have signed straight away, impressed by such apparent selflessness, but Schlein has her doubts. For reasons that remain unclear, the PD secretary has formed the impression—or rather, the suspicion—that Mr Conte and his Casalino are attempting to mislead her. It is uncertain what signals she—that is, Elly—may have detected. The fact is that nothing can be hidden from this woman. All the more so as the agreement is one of exemplary symmetry, on an equal footing, without favouritism. Whoever wins the primaries goes to Palazzo Chigi, where, if all goes well, they’ll stay for a couple of years, whilst whoever loses goes to the Quirinale, where the tenancy is a little longer. If Giuseppe loses—and he has a hunch about this—Giuseppe goes to the Colle. If Elly loses, Elly goes to the Colle, barring one minor detail, a mere registry formality: namely, that to become President of the Republic one must be at least fifty years old, and in 2029, when the post becomes vacant, Elly will be just forty-three. He, as it happens, will be sixty-four.

Conte, who is a gentleman, was tactful enough not to point this out, and offered Schlein the Quirinale in the same way that a witty uncle hands the car keys to his twelve-year-old niece: Here you are, you drive. After all, in the broad coalition, things are done in order, starting from the end. The lists of ministers have been circulating since June, with Lorenzo Guerini at Defence and Fratoianni at Labour. Renzi already has the appointments for Eni, Leonardo, Poste Italiane and Enel on his agenda, and he assures us they will go to “people of the highest calibre, of course”. It is true that a few preliminary details remain. The candidate for Prime Minister is not yet known, there is no government programme, and it is not even clear when the election will take place. And, of course, they would also need to win the election. But these are, after all, just details. In the meantime, the Quirinale is considered settled: Giuseppe is taking it on, having already given so much to the PD and not wishing to burden the party with this additional responsibility.