What happened between Letta and Salvini on the sanctions against Russia. The note by Paola Sacchi
In the evening on TV, at Porta a Porta, by Bruno Vespa, Matteo Salvini clearly reiterates that Russia “is wrong”, attacks its choices but also notes that “Putin has found a divided West”. And that Romano Prodi himself had warned against leaving Russia in the hands of China.
The Northern League leader confirms his support, “whatever decision he takes”, for the line of Mario Draghi, who has “a balanced position”. Draghi, who will report to parliament today, condemned the attack on Ukraine very firmly, calling it “unjustified and unjustifiable”. Salvini in turn speaks of the need for unity “without political distinctions” in the face of tanks. He says yes to humanitarian corridors, to the need to help fleeing civilians.
But behind the strong pressure that lasted all day against him by the Democratic Party with the request of Enrico Letta to “get out of ambiguity”, complete with dem exponents who from the morning on social networks relaunched Salvini’s appreciation to Putin a few years ago , it is inevitable not to see the risk of yet another attempt by dem to redraw the boundaries of the majority. Starting also from foreign policy.
After months in which Letta has no longer pronounced the diktat to Salvini “either inside or outside”, after the unification on the re-election of Mattarella, the war at the gates also records in the events of our house a certain anxiety on the part of the Democratic Party due to a more complicated relationship with the already fragmented galaxy of the Five Stars, with a Giuseppe Conte with whom it is no longer known to what extent the wide field invoked by Letta does not risk instead of shrinking. And the pressure on Salvini, who yesterday went with a bouquet of white tulips to the Embassy of Ukraine as a sign of solidarity, risks appearing also dictated by all internal problems of the Democratic Party. Which makes Salvini say not to use “a tragedy for internal quarrels”. An allusion to that long-awaited “Ursula majority”, on the outline of the election of the president of the EU Commission,
Small things compared to the tragedy of a war at the gates that inevitably also reflects on the already precarious balance of the political structures of our house. It is no coincidence that Salvini has always entrenched himself behind Draghi’s line from the beginning, ensuring his support.
As for the sanctions, even the number two of FI Antonio Tajani argues that, although “necessary”, “they must be targeted”.
In the morning Salvini confirmed his full support for Draghi and his appeal, in the briefing to the Chamber, to remain united, “no to divisions in the face of the war in Italy and in Europe”. He defines “the attack by Donald Tusk, president of the EPP,” on the Italian, German and Hungarian governments on sanctions “unfair and counterproductive.
In his speech to the Senate then Salvini reiterates that “whoever attacks is always wrong and whoever is attacked must be helped”, so “if necessary, yes to sanctions”. But appreciating Draghi’s speech, he invites him to move forward on the “line of dialogue and balance”. A line that belongs to Italy, in the wake of the lesson of “Moro, Craxi and Berlusconi”. And in Salvini’s speech the name of the socialist statesman returns for recognition, also testifying to a new “course” of the Northern League.