Tension on justice, the vote on Santanchè in the Chamber

It will be Daniela Santanchè's D-Day. The third for the Minister of Tourism who tomorrow, in the Chamber, will face (again) the test of the Chamber. In person and giving her version of the facts, most likely. In the afternoon the deputies will vote on yet another motion of no confidence against the exponent of Fratelli d'Italia, sent to trial for false accounting in the investigation into the Visibilia company. And in the balance for the most serious one - for fraud against INPS - which is feared to arrive in May. The opposition is calling for her resignation. From the M5s - which launched the proposal, then signed by Pd, Avs and Italia Viva - to Azione which, despite not having signed it, assures that it will vote in favor. But before the verdict on Santanché, Carlo Nordio will also end up under accusation in Montecitorio. The centre-left has addressed a vote of no confidence to the Minister of Justice over the issue of the liberation and repatriation, on a state flight, of Libyan General Almasri.

For the Minister of Justice there will only be time for discussion, the vote will be in the next few days. A double challenge to the government that is played on the edge of hostility with the judiciary, which the majority has never hidden. And focused on the reform of the separation of careers, under discussion in the Senate, assigned to the Constitutional Affairs Committee headed by the Prime Minister's most loyal follower Alberto Balboni. A game that the majority is pulling together, even if perhaps a constitutional referendum will be needed to confirm the changes. In the short term, however, the judiciary strike against the justice reform (confirmed Thursday) and the hearing (scheduled tomorrow) of the European Court of Justice, called to express its opinion on which countries are safe on the immigration front, weigh heavily, after the three rejections suffered by the Meloni government on the detention of migrants in the hotspot opened in Albania. In the background, but more distant, the confrontation between Giorgia Meloni and the president of the Association of Magistrates, Cesare Parodi, expected on March 5 at Palazzo Chigi. For the long day of no-confidence votes, the Chamber does not fear any dramatic changes. The two ministers are not at risk and will not enter the very poor bag that so far has seen only one minister with no confidence in the history of the republic (it was Filippo Mancuso of the Dini government, in 1995).

But if Nordio is super-secure, the defense on Santanché seems to be ex officio and conditioned - it is feared - to the next possible referral to trial. At least that is how it appears among those Melonians who, with notebooks closed, admit that they do not share the minister's obstinacy in not leaving office. A minister who trusts in the same treatment that the majority and Fdi in particular reserved only a few days ago for undersecretary Andrea Delmastro. And that the support is inevitable, but circumstantial, can be deduced from the fact that no big name from the center-right will intervene for the voting declarations in the Chamber. The choice should fall, instead, on deputies who are part of the Justice Commission. This is the case of criminal lawyer Andrea Pelliccini for Fratelli d'Italia, Enrico Costa for Forza Italia and Ingrid Bisa of the Northern League. On the contrary, for the 5 Star Movement, the word will go to Giuseppe Conte, probably to claim paternity of the no-confidence vote. Elly Schlein for the Democratic Party will also be in the chamber, while the center-right should be more present this time than two weeks ago. Back then, there were two ministers and about ten parliamentarians from the majority. In total, in the chamber. This time, the minister should be less alone. And ready to defend herself with a reply that did not come on February 10th when, after the discussion in Montecitorio, she stood up and left. Amid protests from the opposition who shouted "Shame!". In the meantime, the minister spent the day in Milan and, in the absence of commitments in her agenda, perhaps filing down her speech in the Chamber. She should arrive in the capital in the morning at the latest.