Italy 2013: The official thread

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

Meloni and Crosetto officially leave PdL. The new center-right party is Fratelli d'Italia. How original.

Yes, if you want to pick a party name that will be vague enough, just pick lyrics out of the national anthem!

I'd vote for the Star Spangled Party. Probably not for the God Save Party though, they sound to fringy and Christian.

[Keystone Phil]

Monti has officially resigned but will head the "caretaker" government until the election.

[Antonio the Sixth]

And he'll announce on Sunday if he runs or not.

[Keystone Phil]

And he'll announce on Sunday if he runs or not.

And Silvio remarked that Monti running would be dangerous or something bizarre and I don't think it was just that him running would tactically dangerous (which is another point he made. It would split the "moderate" vote).

[Antonio the Sixth]

And he'll announce on Sunday if he runs or not.

And Silvio remarked that Monti running would be dangerous or something bizarre and I don't think it was just that him running would tactically dangerous (which is another point he made. It would split the "moderate" vote).

The use of the word "moderate" in the context of Italian politics is utterly ridiculous, so please don't import it there.

Anyways, nobody wants Monti to run apart from Casini, Montezemolo and the other nobodies, who dreamed about having him as "their" candidate. Honestly, I have no idea why Monti would even want to run. There has been a dozen of polls made about a hypothetical "Monti list" and it always came third at best. He would achieve nothing and lose his "bipartisan appeal" (or what's left of it).

[minionofmidas]

These people need to learn a history lesson. Fratelli d'Italia is a leftwing song, rammed down the right's throat as a national anthem in 1947.

[Andrea]

SEL is holding primary elections for their parliamentary candidates too. They decided to follow PD method including a quota of candidates decided by the national party to be placed on top spots. They released their list today. It includes 23 names (I guess it's basically 1/3 of the seats they will get). The Green names are some old faces from the past (Francescato, De Petris, Frassoni).

On PD front, the deadline for candidates expired last night. Today and tomorrow provincial executives are officially approving the lists to submit to members/suppoters vote.
However, we still don't know who will be in Bersani's "national quota" of candidates (these candidates will skip primaries). We will probably discover them along with final candidates list.

Regarding their primary elections, they will be held at provincial level. They have decided how many candidates each province is entitled. However, they haven't told the spots the various provincial winners will get in the circonscriptions/regions lists.

Rosy Bindi has been dumped on Reggio Calabria, Fioroni on Messina, Finocchiaro on Taranto.....I don't know who will have to vote for Franco Marini, I suppose Abruzzo.

It looks like there are lots of candidates and competition in Sicily and Campania....

[Andrea]

Monti won't run. But he says he's "available" to take up any responsibility if asked by the Parliament., he can support anyone who would back his agenda (based on Reform and Europe).
He criticizes Berlusconi and CGIL (left wing trade union).

[Keystone Phil]

I'm seeing that he refused to lead a center-right coalition because of Berlusconi's antics but that he still left the door open to run his own centrist slate. Is that the case or did he totally rule out running?

[Andrea]

I'm seeing that he refused to lead a center-right coalition because of Berlusconi's antics but that he still left the door open to run his own centrist slate. Is that the case or did he totally rule out running?

Technically speaking, I think he can't officially run because he's already a Life Senator. But he's open to become PM again if asked by political parties who would back his agenda.

So basically a "No, but maybe yes" speech. UDC & co can now say "yes, we agree on everything you propose".....so I guess you are right, he can easily lead them now. I wrote too soon.

How does the Calderoli's electoral law work? Do the PM indicated candidate need to be up for parliament too or is it not necessary?

[Keystone Phil]

I remember there being debate over whether or not he could run because he's a life Senator and Napolitano even weighed in but there must have been some loophole when you consider the saavy backers he had, trying to get him to run.

[Tender Branson]

The current polls:

30-35% PD
13-20% M5S
15-20% PdL

[Antonio the Sixth]

Mont made the smart decision. By running on his own, he would have ruined his "super partes" status and would have ended up as a humiliating third/fourth.

[RogueBeaver]

Hopefully he runs for President or at least stays on in some ministerial capacity.

[Antonio the Sixth]

I'm pretty sure that if the left wins they'll be more than happy to give him the Quirinale. Monti has a pretty good profile for an Italian President.

[Andrea]

5 MPs leave PD to follow Monti. The most prominent of them being Ichino. The other 4 are Benedetto Adragna (Sicily), Lucio D'Ubaldo (Lazio), Flavio Pertoldi (Friuli), Giampaolo Fogliardi (Veneto).

The 23 SEL candidates indicated by their national executive: Titti Di Salvo,  Francesco Ferrara, Sergio Boccadutri, Nicola Fratoianni, Massimiliano  Smeriglio, Gennaro Migliore, Claudio Fava, Monica Cerutti, Loredana De Petris, Grazia Francescato, Maria Luisa Boccia (they are all party executive members)
Roberto Natale (RAI journalist; Journalists Federation chairman), Laura Boldrini (Spokesperson of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), Giorgio Airaudo  (FIOM Trade Unionist), Giulio Marcon (spokeperson of a network working on globalisation, peace, human rights, environment, fair trade, ethical finance), Giulio Volpe (University of Foggia chancellor), Pape Diaw (spokeperson of Senegalese Community), Ida Dominjanni (Journalist, from Manifesto), Monica Frassoni  (former Green MEP), Giovanni Baruzzino (FIAT worker who is currently having a legal battle with them), Francesco Forgione (former MP, former chairman of Antimafia select committee), Celeste Costantino (feminist campaigner).

Various former MPs: Di Salvo (DS), Francescato (Green), De Petris (Green), Migliore (Communist Refoundation, PRC), Forgione (PRC), Ferrara (PRC), Boccia (PRC), Fava (DS), Massimiliano Smeriglio (PRC).

[Keystone Phil]

I'm pretty sure that if the left wins they'll be more than happy to give him the Quirinale. Monti has a pretty good profile for an Italian President.

Considering the monopoly the left seems to have on the Presidency, I'd imagine the right would be satisfied, too.

[doktorb]

Considering registering a Confound Scottish Knaves Party

[Antonio the Sixth]

I'm pretty sure that if the left wins they'll be more than happy to give him the Quirinale. Monti has a pretty good profile for an Italian President.

Considering the monopoly the left seems to have on the Presidency, I'd imagine the right would be satisfied, too.

Yeah, it's funny how despite ruling for 10 out of 17 years from 1994 to 2011, Berlusconi never got to pick a President.

[Iannis]

Mont made the smart decision. By running on his own, he would have ruined his "super partes" status and would have ended up as a humiliating third/fourth.

I think that many didn't understand. Monti will run! It's almost sure. He will lead as PM candidate the coalition that accept his agenda. And some parties and single MPs of PDL and PD have already adopted it. So, now the last step is that Monti will accept their support.

[Andrea]

Yes, at first I also thought he wasn't running...but after 10 minutes from the end of the speech, I realized it was a speech to indicate he's running!

I guess I am slow but he isn't the clearest man on earth.

So who left PDL so far to sign up to Monti's love?
Frattini, Mario Mauro MEP, Pisanu, Albertini (former Milan mayor who will run now for Lombardy presidency)...maybe Mantovani...anyone else relevant?
He got La Malfa too.
There are rumours of another 3-4 PD MPs going.

[Keystone Phil]

But where are these PdL and PD MPs that are pledging themselves to Monti going? Are they waiting for a new Monti-centric party to emerge that will adopt his policies or is Monti saying it must be an already existing party that has to embrace his policies? Would these MPs join UdC?

[minionofmidas]

What are diverse deadlines for forming parties, formalizing lists, declaring alliances?

Looks to me like these things may actually be important this time around.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Well, he's not really running. He's encouraging parties to back his agenda and authorizing them to use him as a symbol, but he won't himself campaign. Right?

[Andrea]

What are diverse deadlines for forming parties, formalizing lists, declaring alliances?

Looks to me like these things may actually be important this time around.

11-13 January: list symbols should be registred at the Interior Ministry
20-21 Jan: candidates lists must be presented