From housing to scouting for MPs, all-out battle between Vannacci and Salvini
The general is a thorn in the side of the Carroccio: he is growing in the polls and taking deputies away from the League, which is preparing for the two-day retreat with Zaia at the beginning of July. In the meantime, in the Chamber of Deputies, the 'futurists' present their first bill for an ad hoc ministry for housing
Key points
Change the date, don't change the objectives. The League tries to regroup. The two-day 'retreat' initially set for 19-20 June has been moved to 4-5 July, probably in Treviso. The forfeit of former Doge Luca Zaia for the initial date ("due to previous commitments") led to an alternative choice that would allow the agendas to fit together. All convened, therefore, ministers, governors, parliamentarians, and leaders "to fine-tune proposals and programmes" in view of the political elections.
The need for revitalisation and Vannacci's competition
The party needs to be re-launched on the ground (and for this the presence of Zaia, Mr. 203,000 preferences at the last regional elections in Veneto, was essential) and the haemorrhaging of consensus in favour of Roberto Vannacci's futurists needs to be stopped. The general is by now a thorn in the side of the Carroccio: he is growing in the polls (the latest one by YouTrend for SkyTg24 gives him up by one point to 4.4% while the League is down by one point to 5.9%) and is taking MPs away from the Carroccio. The latest was Laura Ravetto, former head of the League for equal opportunities. But Palace rumours give as probable further arrivals before the constituent assembly that Futuro Nazionale has convened in Rome on 13 and 14 June. So much so that the declared ambition, after the formation of the 'Futuro Nazionale Vannacci' political component within the mixed group, is to create a parliamentary group in the Chamber of Deputies (20 deputies are needed, but exceptions are expected) .
The Vigevano case
Via Bellerio does not underestimate the alarm bells in the North in the last municipal votes. In Vigevano (where the centre-right appeared divided), the Carroccio candidate did not go to the ballot, losing votes to the candidate supported by Vannacci (fourth with over 14%), so much so that the Pavia party was placed under commission, and a veteran like Gianmarco Centinaio arrived. In Venice, the Leghist list took a third of the votes compared to the previous municipal elections.
Vannacci's housing bill
And while on Europe and migrants Salvini still has to mediate with the government allies, Vannacci has put the arrow to the right and is pursuing his identity battles, from security to remigration, challenging the Lega Lega secretary on content. The latest initiative is to push on the terrain, very popular, of housing. So to 'facilitate the resolution' of the housing problem in Italia, the general points to an ad hoc ministry with funds, personnel and offices. This is what the 4 deputies of Futuro Nazionale are asking for in their first bill. A debut that sounds like a snub to Salvini. In fact, the Meloni government does not have a dedicated ministry and the delegation on housing issues is in the hands of the secretary of the League. He recently exercised it by contributing to the Housing Plan launched at the beginning of May. The new entry would deal with urban requalification, social housing and the development of housing policies. Thus eroding functions, money and reach to the Ministry of Infrastructure and challenging it on evictions and occupied houses mantra of the Salvini narrative.
