For the attention of Alessandro Sallusti
For the attention of Vittorio Feltri
Good evening Directors, I am writing to both of you because I would like to give my opinion on the behavior of Tajani and Meloni and on the miserable agreements, now blatantly out in the open, to grab the best seats in Europe, even more blatantly ignoring the indications of the voters (and then they complain about the disastrous abstentionism). And since in two editorials a few days ago you have legitimately expressed somewhat different positions on the two characters, I am writing to both of you for “par condicio” (as they say today).
I had great respect and great esteem for Tajani, for his good sense and for the feeling he had established with Meloni. But the latest events have deeply disappointed me, for two main reasons:
1) Tajani is not the last to arrive in the EPP, he is indeed one of the top exponents, so he COULD and SHOULD have imposed himself much more with Weber, against the at least ambiguous way, not to say worse, with which they carried out the consultations and the choice of the top. It is not admissible to bow to the wishes of a Macron or a Scholz, shamefully defeated in their countries, without opposing with facts, and not with timid hopes for the future, to allow a Meloni, who is the only one to have decisively won the European elections, to enter the decision-making processes.
2) Tajani, to push Ursula forward, even went so far as to ally himself with the Greens, not to mention the Dems, already allies in Ursula 1, Greens who were supporters of the most dangerous initiatives of the EU in the environmental field, with dramatic consequences for the economies of many countries, including Italy. But how can he feel proud of having favored Ursula 2 and declare textually: “The program presented convinced us and we voted for it because many of FI’s proposals were accepted by Ursula”. Perhaps because they were proposals of FI (9-10%), but not of the Italian government, also composed of Lega (9-10%), but above all FdI (29-30%).
I conclude by reflecting that many of our politicians often lack coherence, just to save their seats, and perhaps this is why Meloni has gone from 5-6% to 29-30%, because she has always been coherent.
Thank you for your attention, I send you my warmest regards and wish you good work.
Gianni Locatelli
(Rome)
Dear Gianni,
I specify right away that I am not answering on behalf of my colleague Sallusti. A newspaper is not a barracks but a place for comparing different points of view or perspectives to offer to the reader so that he feels encouraged to make his own reflections and form his own personal opinion. I have always conceived it in this way, living in a civil and democratic state that defends the value of pluralism, first and foremost that of ideas. I do not agree but I defend Sallusti’s thinking, and that’s it. I think I have been quite clear: I completely support the choice of Prime Minister Meloni and I hoped that she would act in the way she did, remaining consistent and faithful to an electorate that voted and chose Fratelli d’Italia as the first party and the entire center-right on the basis of a political program that is the antithesis of the program with which Ursula von der Leyen presented herself before parliamentarians from all over Europe asking for their confidence. A trust that Meloni could not have granted without contravening the commitments already made to millions of Italian voters. This is not a question of party interests, as has been insinuated, but of respect for democracy and the principle that power belongs to the people, that sovereignty belongs to the people. Meloni had no other choice by virtue of this principle that she has always honored. The defense of personal or party interests, if anything, lies elsewhere, lies, for example, in the decision of Tajani, an individual whom I do not respect and who does not tolerate criticism well, to detach himself from the majority in order to swear loyalty to Ursula von der Leyen who has presented a left-wing program, perhaps even extreme, that anyone who declares himself right-wing, or conservative, or moderate, absolutely cannot embrace.
But, as you know, certain decisions have a price. And the fact that you, like many other readers, write to me to declare yourself disappointed by Tajani is proof that the actions of the leader (big word in reference to this man) of Forza Italia have only made Ursula happy and that the voters, at the first opportunity, will show their displeasure, that is, as soon as they have the chance to vote.
Tajani will be able to console himself, however: now Ursula, who is also preparing to get into some legal trouble, will be grateful to him, because he has been a good boy, a good little man, a good little soldier.
It’s a shame that people like that don’t enjoy true respect even from those they are willing to serve without hesitation.
Power is ungrateful: the more you bend, the more you get it in that place there, I’ll leave you to imagine where.