Forza Italia, Tajani in Piersilvio's wake: members will elect new regional leaders
The national council has approved the statutory modification. After Pier Silvio Berlusconi's call for 'turnover' and 'new faces', the aim is to make the party structure 'more participatory and contestable'.
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Change and new faces in the party. This is what Piersilvio Berlusconi has been calling for in Forza Italia for some time now (the last time was on 9 July during the presentation of the Mediaset programme schedules, and he has not ruled out a future appearance in the political arena), without ever questioning the role of the current secretary Antonio Tajani. It must also be for this reason that the leader of Forza Italia has decided to widen the democratic process of opening up Forza Italia as much as possible. Hence the proposal for an amendment to the statute, approved yesterday by the Forza Italia national council meeting in Rome, according to which the party's regional coordinators will no longer be appointed by the national secretary but voted in a congress by the members. No more appointments from above, in short. And new local leaders chosen by the grassroots.
Tajani: FI ruling class to be grassroots choice
"Perhaps because I have always been elected with preferences and the proportional system, I am absolutely convinced that the ruling class of a party must be chosen by the base, by the members, and not imposed by a secretary or deputy secretaries who are elected by the Congress," Forza Italia Secretary Antonio Tajani told the party's National Council. 'We have taken a big step forward by having provincial and municipal Congresses, we have done 1,100 of them. And now we must have the courage to have the regional secretaries elected as well,' he added. 'This is neither a choice to strengthen nor to weaken the national secretary. A national secretary who is not able to govern a party, a fully democratic party, is not up to being the national secretary'.
Two-year membership to vote at the national conference
.That of the regional coordinators elected by the members is not the only novelty. "In order to avoid last-minute card lords," another amendment to Fi's statute proposed by Tajani and approved by the national council provides for a two-year membership requirement to participate with voting rights at the national congress.
The battle for the Ius Italiae continues
.Rules aside, Tajani also attempted a programme relaunch. A political document was unanimously approved that contains among its priorities an acceleration on liberalisation and the Irpef cut for the middle classes. Reaffirmed the 'irreversible choice' of the centre-right ('constituent element of our identity') for Forza Italia. And claimed the party's position in the 'moderate liberal centre'.
Without giving up the battle for ius scholae or ius Italiae (despite being called 'not a priority' by Piersilvio Berlusconi). "We are not lax, on the contrary, we are also very strict on the issue of citizenship. The Ius Italiae proposal does not mean a watering down, but on the contrary a strengthening of the current rules, because it envisages the obligation of a ten-year school cycle, in which to better learn the language, understand the culture, assimilate our values and our way of life,' the political document states. And again: 'We will continue to support this proposal with our allies, but,' the document continues, 'do not delude the opposition into exploiting it to divide the centre-right, which is united and knows how to find a synthesis even when there are different opinions on a specific issue.
