European elections, Viminale: vote valid if 'Giorgia' is written on the ballot paper

Just writing the name 'Giorgia' on the ballot paper for the forthcoming European elections - as PM Meloni invited to do on Sunday from the stage of the FdI programme conference in Pescara - does not invalidate the vote. This was made known by Viminale sources. In the manual of indications for polling station presidents produced by the Ministry of the Interior on the occasion of the consultations, one of the cases of valid voting is that in which the preference for the candidate is assigned 'using identifying expressions such as diminutives or nicknames, previously communicated to the voters, as a way of expressing preference that can be used by any voter. The vote is valid,' it continues, 'as long as the actual will of the voter can be inferred. The premier from the stage overlooking the sea in Pescara called her people to a plebiscite on herself ('Giorgia Meloni called Giorgia' will be the wording on the list that will allow only the name to be indicated as a preference) while in the audience she was listened to by 'her faithful ally' Antonio Tajani.

In the meantime, in these last days before the filing of the lists, there is frantic copying, deleting, adding in the political forces. And still a few boxes are empty, such as that of the leader of Iv, Matteo Renzi, who will decide in the next few hours. This round will be characterised by the presence of many party bigwigs. The 'almost' direct challenger of the premier will be the Pd secretary Elly Schlein, who is running as the main candidate in the Centre and Islands. A TV confrontation between the two leaders is expected: 'Our staff are working,' said the secretary, 'there are contacts, I hope it will take place.

Among the leaders in the field there are already Antonio Tajani, vice-premier and secretary of Forza Italia, and the secretary of Azione Carlo Calenda, who has announced the race, albeit amidst a thousand perplexities: "I cannot leave my candidates without the boost of leadership, when everyone else is running, even the Prime Minister". Also running for Azione will be Marcello Pittella, fresh from the regional elections in Basilicata, where he racked up the most votes. The vice-premier and secretary of the League Matteo Salvini will not be there: "I am a minister, I have 18 hours a day to deal with this," he said, "I do not comment on the choices of others and if others have done so, they have done well. Renzi's decision is awaited: 'If the United States of Europe list asks him to run,' it was explained in Iv circles, 'he has given his availability as last in all the constituencies.

The deadline of the lists (they can be presented from 8am to 8pm on Tuesday 30 April and from 8am to 8pm on Wednesday 1 May) coincides with that of the collection of signatures necessary to present the symbols: 75 thousand are needed. It is a race for smaller or new movements, such as the one led by Michele Santoro. "We have reached the signatures necessary to present the symbol of 'Peace Land Dignity' at the European elections. The minimum number of 15 thousand signatures to be able to present in the Islands constituency has been reached. As well as the 75 thousand throughout the country,' Santoro declared. Although, after a meeting of Marco Rizzo (coordinator of the 'Sovereign and Popular Democracy' list) with Meloni's staff, a note filtered from Palazzo Chigi that may suggest a lowering of the required signatures. "Rizzo," it was explained, "pointed out that the proposal to halve the signatures currently required to 37,500 would bring the necessary signatures to a higher number than the one set" at the "last political elections, which was 36,000. Palazzo Chigi has assured that it will evaluate the request made without any preclusion'.