The League congress has passed, but the Salvinian offensive (and of the Salvinians Doc) with a view of the Interior Ministry is far from archived. It does not spend day without one of the captain’s men not to return to shake his mantra. The allies remain cold, the premier did not pronounce himself directly, but made his thoughts understand through the faithful, delivering a clear message to him: he is not talked about.

The “problem” Zaia

Matteo Salvini pretended not to understand and continued to insist, relaunching with the bill to ban the Islamic veil. He knows well, however, that his is not a real battle, but rather a wrestling staging: that strange American sport where you take punches for fake. The audience has fun, but in the end the two contenders get up beautiful quiet from the ground and go to take a shower together.

The request of the Interior Ministry therefore serves above all to mark the territory within the coalition and not to give up the grip on those themes dear to the League base: first safety, as evidenced by the bill on the veil. But also on an internal level, the Carroccio does not intend to lower the guard: after the sentence of the Constitutional Court on the third term and the consequent zia affection, the League will return strongly to claim the Veneto for its own exponent.

Veti, tissues and ambitions: Salvini’s last battle

Beyond the understandable tacticism (which in politics always has its weight), Salvini knows very well that his chances of returning to the Interior Ministry are minimal. The stakes that cannot exceed are clear, and in order of relevance are three: the Quirinale, the Premier, and the other parties of the majority.

Let’s start from the first. It is good to remember that, according to article 92 of the Constitution, the ministers are appointed by the President of the Republic on the proposal of the President of the Council. And Mattarella, after the experience of the Conte I government, has already given very clear signals on the occasion of the Draghi government, confirming Luciana Lamorgese at the interior. At the time Salvini was still under investigation for kidnapping (later archived), but nothing suggests that the president changed his mind nor much less that he can tolerate a “personalized” immigration as the one that Salvini has always claimed.

Then there is Giorgia Meloni. She does not also want a change at the Interior Ministry: it fears a Salvini too exposed and prefers to keep it in a less strategic and more risky ministry media (between late trains, bridges that collapse and queues on the highway). In addition, an interior change would risk triggering a reshuffle – the word that the premier aborishes, because he would put his government duration record at risk.

Finally, the allies. None of them intend to support a “extralarge format” Salvini.

That’s why the League returns to hoist identity banners such as that of the DDL against the Islamic veil, asking for the rapid calendarization in the chamber. A battle that, for now, the Carroccio has carried out above all on the territories: last month Friuli Venezia Giulia, led by the League, approved a rule that prohibits the full veil in public places. A legal law, which will have no practical effects, because the competence on the subject is national. But that allows the League – Salvini to the Interior Ministry or not – to dictate the political agenda and to maintain the debate anchored to “his” themes.